The fallout from Israel’s war with Hamas and Hezbollah has triggered a domino effect threatening Syrian President Bashar Assad’s grip on power and Iran’s regional influence.

A surprise offensive by the Sunni jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), affiliated with al-Qaeda, is reshaping the battlefield and delivering devastating losses to Syrian government forces backed by Iran and Russia.

This rapid escalation began shortly after an Israeli-Hezbollah ceasefire went into effect on Wednesday morning. Hezbollah has been badly weakened by the war, unable to assist Assad’s forces in the face of the HTS offensive.  Israel confirmed eliminating 2,500 Hezbollah terrorists and likely killed at least 1,000 more. Casualties include nearly all of the terror group’s top leadership. Israeli forces also seized 25,000 weapons.