Referring to Hezbollah as the resistance, Khaled Abboud, a parliament member and confidant of President Bashar al-Assad, told The Wall Street Journal: “The resistance and the armed forces are now one body. In my assessment, Hezbollah will side with Syria in certain operations targeting warships in the Mediterranean.”…

The Syrian government warned residents to move away from military bases outside Damascus, as troops began to position themselves for what appeared to be the first time in residential neighborhoods in the city that are home to military and security installations and government offices…

The regime warned Syrians to beware of rumors which it said were part of possible psychological warfare that could be waged by the U.S. and its allies. This included “rumors about the escape of important people from the country” and “videos of people impersonating Syrian officials,” read full-page advertisements in state newspapers.

Meanwhile a group of staunch regime supporters launched a campaign titled “over our dead bodies,” which members said involves camping out in tents in areas likely to be targeted by U.S. military strikes.