It was exactly one year ago today that the lightning offensive reached its ultimate conclusion. Syria saw the fall of Bashar al-Assad, ending over five decades of his regime in a blitz that stunned the world. In Damascus, celebrations erupted in Umayyad Square, as Syrians emerged from thirteen years of brutal civil war, marking a moment of both relief and disbelief.

In the chaos that followed, Assad fled to Moscow, and former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa, now the interim president, took the reins. His charm offensive has seen him meet with world leaders, even speaking at the United Nations, presenting a new face of Syria.