Assad’s wife Asma, a London-born doctor’s daughter who married into the dynasty in 2000, became accustomed to a life of luxury, with reports that she spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on home furnishings and clothes during her husband’s reign of terror. The US state department estimates that the family are worth $2billion, with their wealth concealed in numerous accounts, shell companies, offshore tax havens and real estate portfolios.
Despite these gains, large parts of Syria remain outside government control, particularly in the northeast (under Kurdish-led forces backed by the U.S.) and northwest (under rebel and jihadist groups supported by Turkey). Western countries, including the U.S. and EU, refuse to recognize him as a legitimate leader and continue to impose sanctions. However, some Arab states have begun to re-establish diplomatic relations, with Syria rejoining the Arab League in 2023 after years of suspension.
