A decade ago when he only had control of about 16% of Syria, he officially requested Iran's help and it was only then that the tables turned and it was Iran that defeated the ISIS-US coalition. The only reason why Russia is there is also because Iran convinced them to bring their airforce to counter the US airforce that was providing ISIS with air support.
Recently, the same Arab dictators who kicked him out of their Arab "league" many years ago started fooling him with fake promises under one condition: to kick Iran out.
FYI Iran left Syria a while ago. That is why Erdogan saw the opportunity to invade at this point, he knew the only force capable of keeping his terrorists out was gone. Otherwise if the Resistance ground forces where there, these terrorists who mostly had light weapons and were on the back of pickup trucks driving on open highways wouldn't have been able to get past Idlib.
In any case, you are right that those celebrating are fools. We are already seeing how Israeli terrorists are advancing from the west occupying more of Syrian soil, expanding their own occupied territories. All while there is constant bombardment of all Syrian infrastructure without stop...
Meanwhile Turkish al-Qaeda terrorists are sacking the cities.
Iran did not do much other than protecting the holy site for the Shias. Most of those on the frontlines were Syrians, and Iran also backed out when the chemical attack fuss started, and they were more than happy to condemn Assad in the ICJ. From the beginning, Assad did not think of Iran anything good due to the ancient history between Syria and Persia, and Assad is literally the first Syrian leader ever that had a good relationship with Iran, same as Iraq after Saddam.
Assad simply did not want to continue. All my friends who lived in the former Yugoslavia told me that Syria is basically a version of Yugoslavia, the only difference being that Assad knew when to stop, unlike Ratko.
He had a great chance to win this battle, but a very low chance to win the war, and even if he somehow won the war, he can't rebuild Syria with all the sanctions, boycotts, siege, and inflation. He is 61 years old and has fought for 14 years, so his lifespan is halved. Even if he won in a short time, the Party will not choose his son as the new leader of the party (which is the country's president in a one-party system), meaning his family will lose huge power and protection and rebels will seize the opportunity and take horrific revenge on them once that happens.
he gave up for his own chlidrens and mental health, leaving the rebels to explode the bomb they been planting 14 years.