Was Assad ever truly a stabilizing force? On GZERO World, Kim Ghattas, a contributing editor at the Financial Times and author of Black Wave, unpacks Syria’s collapse, Iran and Russia’s strained influence, and what’s next for Tehran on the global stage.

Ghattas challenges the notion that Iran and Russia willingly abandoned Syria in the days before Assad's fall, arguing instead that their diminished capacities forced their retreat. "The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russians don’t give up easily on the crown jewel of their influence in the Mediterranean," she asserts, explaining how the war in Ukraine has strained Russia’s resources. Similarly, Iran's "axis of resistance," a cornerstone of its regional strategy, is faltering as the country faces internal transitions and external threats. “They’ve stretched themselves too thin… from Yemen to Syria, their investments are crumbling,” Ghattas observes.