The Fall of the Syrian Regime: The End of Chemical Warfare in Syria

Authors

  • Damian Alexander Honeyman Biosecurity Research Program, Kirby Institute, the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
  • David James Heslop School of Population Health, the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0809-5692
  • C Raina Macintyre Biosecurity Research Program, Kirby Institute, the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia & College of Public Service & Community Solutions, and College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3060-0555

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31646/gbio.344

Keywords:

Syria, Assad, Chemical weapons, Chemical incidents, Chemical Warfare

Abstract

The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on 8 December 2024 marked a historic turning point in Syria’s modern history, ending more than five decades of authoritarian rule and widespread human-rights violations. Central to this period was Syria’s longstanding chemical weapons program, which evolved from a regional deterrent to an instrument of mass repression during the civil war. This case report traces the development, deployment, and eventual dismantling of Syria’s chemical arsenal, examines the geopolitical factors leading to the collapse of the Assad government, and discusses the implications for regional stability, humanitarian recovery, and future chemical disarmament efforts under international supervision.

Downloads

Published

2026-03-24

How to Cite

Honeyman, D. A., Heslop, D. J., & MacIntyre, C. R. (2026). The Fall of the Syrian Regime: The End of Chemical Warfare in Syria. Global Biosecurity, 8(88). https://doi.org/10.31646/gbio.344

Issue

Vol. 8 (2026)

Section

CBRNE Perspectives and Analytics

License

Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Received 2025-11-12
Accepted 2026-02-26
Published 2026-03-24