White House: The progress of the opposition in Syria indicates that Russia and Iran are weakening.

The White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan attributed the progress of the opposition in Aleppo and its surroundings in Syria to the loss of power and distraction of Syria's supporters in other conflicts.

Sullivan stated in an interview with CNN that regarding the opposition forces taking control of Aleppo, "They looked at three actors that have been wearing themselves out for years: Iran, Russia, Hezbollah. They saw them as weaker and more vulnerable than before and tried to take advantage of that."

"THE SPEED OF THE ATTACK SURPRISED OBSERVERS"

Sullivan said, "I think the speed of this attack surprised the Syrian government and other observers in the region," emphasizing that both these developments and the current situation in Ukraine are a "natural consequence of Russia and Iran being in a weaker strategic position."

"WE BELIEVE OUR FORCES ARE NOT AT RISK"

Sullivan noted regarding whether the recent developments in Aleppo and Idlib pose a risk to U.S. forces in the region; "Currently, we believe that our forces stationed in Syria to fight ISIS are not at close risk because they are in a different area from where this specific attack occurred. However, they are still under threat from Shiite militia groups in Iran, Iraq, and Syria. We work every day to ensure their protection and respond to attacks against them."

"WE ARE FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS WITH CONCERN"

Emphasizing that the U.S. defines the armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is against the Syrian regime, as a terrorist organization, Sullivan stated that they have valid concerns regarding "the organization's designs and objectives."

Despite this, Jake Sullivan stressed that the U.S. would not "complain" about the opposition forces advancing towards the Syrian capital, Damascus, and putting pressure on the Bashar al-Assad government, which is supported by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. Using the phrase "a complex situation" regarding what the ongoing developments will bring, Sullivan conveyed that Washington is in close contact with its regional partners on this issue. Clashes have been ongoing for about six days between the Assad regime and the opposition armed group HTS in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib.