Framing the World

Translated by Angela Simoncini

Framing the World is an analysis series offering in-depth insights into the main dynamics of international politics. The series is organized by geographic areas — Asia, the Americas, Africa & MENA, and Europe — and each week features a thematic focus made up of several coordinated contributions. Its aim is to provide clear and accessible perspectives on the key developments shaping the world, through the collaborative work of the editorial team.

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The Alawite coast in post-Assad Syria. Between internal vulnerabilities and Russian interests

In December 2024, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime profoundly reshaped Syria’s political balance, without diminishing the strategic importance of its Mediterranean coast. The governorates of Latakia and Tartus, which are home to a significant share of the Alawite community, have become a key point of intersection between the internal vulnerabilities of Syria’s transition and Russia’s geopolitical interests. Historically regarded as a stronghold of the regime, the coastal regions have occupied an increasingly sensitive position since Assad’s fall. The fact that the Assad family belongs to the Alawite community, together with the presence of numerous Alawite figures within the former regime’s military and security apparatus, helped create a strong association between the community and the former system of power. This association helped transform political and individual responsibility into a form of responsibility perceived as collective. The violence that erupted along the coast in March 2025, during clashes between the new security forces and groups linked to the former regime, clearly demonstrated this vulnerability, with the Alawite population particularly affected by the violence against civilians. The coast’s political importance is matched by its geopolitical significance. Latakia and Tartus are home to the main infrastructure through which Moscow consolidated its military presence in Syria: the Hmeimim airbase and the Tartus naval base. Their value extends beyond Syria’s borders. Tartus provides Russia with a strategic foothold in the Mediterranean, while Hmeimim ensures air power projection capabilities and has served as a key logistical hub for Russian operations in the Middle East and towards Africa.

The fall of Assad, Moscow’s long-standing ally, did not therefore lead to a complete Russian withdrawal, but necessitated a redefinition of relations with the new Syrian authorities. In August 2026, following some eighteen months of negotiations, Damascus and Moscow reached a memorandum reorganising the Russian presence on the coast: infrastructure intended for civilian use will come under Syrian management, whilst the military facilities at Tartus and Hmeimim will be reconfigured as joint training and education centres, with a Russian presence maintained. The subsequent resupply of the coastal facilities by Russian ships confirms Moscow’s continuing interest in maintaining a foothold in the area. The Syrian coast thus finds itself at the centre of a dual transition. Domestically, it serves as a testing ground for the security and integration of the Alawite community within the new political order; internationally, it is the arena in which Moscow is attempting to preserve part of its strategic influence in the Mediterranean and South-West Asia, whilst Damascus reaffirms and consolidates its sovereignty. The future of Latakia and Tartus will therefore depend on the balance between these two transformations.

Bianca Mannino

First convictions for the massacres of Alawites in Syria

The first convictions have been handed down in Syria for the massacres targeting the Alawite community that took place in March 2025, during a series of sectarian violence in the coastal region of Latakia. A military court in Aleppo has sentenced two supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad to death, whilst a member of the government forces has been sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment for murder. A fourth defendant was acquitted.

The trial involves fourteen people: seven members of the forces loyal to President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government and seven supporters of the former regime. The violence began following a series of armed attacks on the security forces by alleged Assad supporters, but quickly escalated into sectarian killings. At least 1,500 Alawites were killed, according to a Reuters investigation which also uncovered the involvement of security officials in Damascus. The new convictions therefore mark the first legal proceedings concerning the violence since Assad was deposed and left Syria in December 2024. Further verdicts are expected in the coming days, specifically on 24 September.

Alice Balan

Framing The World is a project conceived and created through the collaboration of a team of associates at Mondo Internazionale.

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