Rifaat al-Assad

Rifaat al-Assad is the uncle of Bashar al-Assad and a former high-ranking military official in Syria. Known for his powerful position during Hafez al-Assad's regime, he was often regarded as the 'strongman' behind the scenes. Recently, he has been in the news due to the chaotic circumstances surrounding Bashar's flight from Syria, where family members sought his help to escape the collapsing regime.