Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was sworn in Saturday for a fourth seven-year term in the war-torn country, pledging to overcome the impact of Western economic sanctions and retake territory still out of his control after 10 years of fighting. It was described by the West and Syria's opposition as illegitimate and a sham. In power since 2000, his new term starts with a country still devastated by war and sliding deeper into a worsening economic crisis. Assad is supported by Iran and Russia, which sent troops and assistance that have propped him up throughout the war. The truce was negotiated between Turkey, which supports Syria’s opposition and has troops deployed in the area, and Russia, the Syrian government’s main backer.

Source: Mint July 17, 2021 17:15 UTC