If Assad wanted to catch the west off guard he should recognize Israel and ditch the Palestinians who sided with the Sunni jihadists. Iran may allow Syria to do that also just to keep Syria under Assad and in their orbit? That is how you end the west calling Assad “a butcher”, etc - which is actually what his father was. Assad, Jr was just a figure head placed there by the Ba’athist family party.
I agree with your thoughts there.