Bashar al-Assad 'informed' on US-led airstrikes against IS
Syrian President says regime has no plans to work with US and denies ever using barrel bombs
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has revealed that he is kept informed about the US-led coalition battling Islamic State militants in Syria, but says he has no desire to join the coalition.
In an interview with the BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen, Assad defended his government's actions during the Syrian conflict, which broke out in 2011.
Bowen pointed out that there had been no incidents between the American military and Assad's Syrian Air Force since international airstrikes began in September, suggesting there was communication between the two sides.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Assad confirmed that this was true, but denied there was any direct co-operation with the US. "Through a third party – more than one party – Iraq and other countries," he said. "Sometimes they convey a message, general message, but there's nothing tactical."
The Syrian president said his government did not have the "will" or the "want" to join the US-led coalition, claiming that he could not be in alliance with a country that "supports the terrorism".
He added that any suggestion that his regime was fighting a "moderate" opposition was a "fantasy" and denied dropping barrel bombs indiscriminately on rebel-held areas.
"I know about the army, they use bullets, missiles, and bombs. I haven't heard of the army using barrels, or maybe, cooking pots," he said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bowen described this as a "flippant" response amid evidence that the barrel bomb has become the most notorious weapon in the regime's arsenal.
"The mention of cooking pots was either callousness, an awkward attempt at humour, or a sign that Mr Assad has become so disconnected from what is happening that he feels overwhelmed," he said.
Bowen added that Assad looked "remarkably relaxed" for a man who has been at the centre of the Syrian catastrophe for the last four years.
"His end has been predicted repeatedly since the war started," said Bowen. "Instead, he is looking as secure as ever."
-
Icarus programme – the ‘internet of animals’
The Explainer Researchers aim to monitor 100,000 animals worldwide with GPS trackers, using data to understand climate change and help predict disasters and pandemics
-
Experience Tanzania’s untamed wilderness from Lemala’s luxury lodges
The Week Recommends The vast protected landscapes are transformed into a verdant paradise during ‘emerald season’
-
Crossword: October 9, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
Inside Syria’s al-Hol camp
Under the radar Aid cuts mean authorities face ‘uphill struggle’ to maintain security
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Rubio says US brokered end to Syria conflict
Speed Read Syria's defense ministry was targeted in Israeli attacks on the capital
-
Syria's returning refugees
The Explainer Thousands of Syrian refugees are going back to their homeland but conditions there remain extremely challenging
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024