Rifaat al-Assad, the uncle of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and one of the most prominent and ruthless figures in the decades-long Assad family rule, has died at the age of 88. His death comes shortly after the fall of his nephew's regime in December 2014, bringing to a close the life of a controversial figure whose name is linked to one of the bloodiest chapters in modern Syrian history.

Historical context: The Hama massacre

The name Rifaat al-Assad cannot be mentioned without recalling the events of the 1982 Hama massacre . At the time, Rifaat commanded the Defense Brigades, a semi-autonomous and well-equipped military force whose primary mission was to protect the regime of his brother, Hafez al-Assad. When an armed uprising led by the Muslim Brotherhood erupted in the city of Hama, the Defense Brigades were tasked with suppressing it. The result was a brutal military campaign that lasted for weeks, during which the city was indiscriminately bombarded and its old quarters destroyed, resulting in the deaths of between 10,000 and 40,000 civilians, according to various estimates. This massacre cemented the title "Butcher of Hama," which haunted Rifaat al-Assad until his death.

A power struggle and a long exile

Rifaat's career was not limited to military repression; it was also marked by political ambition. In 1984, after his brother Hafez al-Assad suffered a heart attack, Rifaat attempted a coup to seize power, deploying his forces in the streets of Damascus. However, the attempt failed after their mother intervened, and he was exiled from Syria and nominally appointed vice president, beginning a long period of exile in Europe, moving between France and Spain. During his exile, he amassed a considerable fortune, which raised suspicions that it had been plundered from the Syrian treasury.

Significance and impact: legal proceedings and a symbolic end

Internationally, Rifaat al-Assad faced legal proceedings in several European countries. In France, he was convicted of money laundering and embezzling Syrian public funds, receiving a prison sentence and the confiscation of his luxury real estate holdings. Swiss authorities also opened an investigation against him for alleged war crimes related to his role in the Hama massacre. These prosecutions represented a significant symbol in the effort to achieve justice for the victims and hold those responsible for major crimes accountable.

Rifaat al-Assad unexpectedly returned to Syria in 2021, fleeing a prison sentence in France. His stay was short-lived, however. With the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, he left the country again, reportedly traveling to the United Arab Emirates via Lebanon. His death today, while still at large, marks the biological end of a symbol of repression, but it also leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of thousands of Syrians who had hoped to see him face justice in a Syrian court for the crimes he is accused of.

The war of words between Washington and Tehran has reignited, with former US President Donald Trump issuing a fierce threat, vowing to "obliterate Iran from the face of the earth" should he be assassinated. This statement has only added fuel to the already simmering tensions and has drawn an equally sharp response from Iran, reflecting the deep-seated animosity between the two countries.

Background to the tension: A legacy of hostility

These mutual threats cannot be understood in isolation from their historical context, particularly during the Trump presidency. In 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and reimposed crippling economic sanctions under a policy dubbed “maximum pressure.” This policy led to a sharp decline in the Iranian economy and exacerbated tensions between the two sides.

Tensions reached a peak in January 2020 with the US assassination of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in an airstrike in Baghdad. Since then, Iran has repeatedly vowed revenge for Soleimani’s killing, considering Trump and other US officials legitimate targets, which explains Trump’s sensitivity to any potential threats to his life.

Details of the latest threats

In a recent interview with News Nation, Trump, when asked about Iranian threats, said, “I gave very strong instructions, and if anything happens, they will be wiped off the face of the earth.” This statement is a continuation of Trump’s approach, in which he has previously used extreme rhetoric, emphasizing that the United States will not hesitate to respond to any attack on its leadership.

In response, Iran issued a swift rebuttal through the spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces, General Abolfazl Shekarchi, who asserted that “Trump is well aware of the seriousness of Tehran’s position.” State media quoted him as saying, “If the hand of aggression reaches out to our leader (Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei), we will not only cut off that hand, but we will set their world ablaze and leave them no safe haven in the region.”.

Internal and regional dimensions

These threats coincide with significant internal challenges facing the Iranian regime, as the country has witnessed widespread protests fueled by deteriorating living conditions and social restrictions. In such circumstances, the regime often resorts to escalating its rhetoric abroad to garner domestic support and divert attention from its problems. Authorities have responded to these protests with brutal repression, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests, according to international human rights organizations.

Regionally and internationally, this war of words exacerbates instability in the Middle East and casts a shadow over any future diplomatic efforts, particularly regarding the stalled nuclear negotiations. It also puts US allies in the region on high alert, fearing that any spark could ignite a wider military confrontation with potentially disastrous consequences for all.