Iranian General Qassem Soleimani warned Syrian officials about Luna al-Shibl, a close adviser to President Bashar al-Assad, being a spy months before her death in a suspected assassination. Al-Shibl was involved in controversial discussions about allies of the Assad regime, and her death raised suspicions of internal purges within the regime. She had been sanctioned by the US and UK for her role in promoting Assad's narrative. Following her death, questions arose about her loyalty and the dynamics within Assad's inner circle.