U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed that the Syrian people have “hope” after Bashar al Assad’s regime was toppled by a Syrian rebel insurgency late last night, adding that the United States will support efforts to hold the regime “accountable.”

In a statement Sunday night titled “The Syrian People Finally Have a Reason for Hope,” Blinken said that while the U.S. is “closely monitoring” the developments in the Middle Eastern country and engaging with allies in the region, Syrians now have “hope” after 14 years of conflict.

“After 14 years of conflict, the Syrian people finally have reason for hope. … The United States strongly supports a peaceful transition of power to an accountable Syrian government through an inclusive Syrian-led process. During this transitional period, the Syrian people have every right to demand the preservation of state institutions, the resumption of key services, and the protection of vulnerable communities,” the statement said.

Blinken also identified reasons for the Assad regime’s collapse, which was accomplished in under two weeks after the al Qaeda-linked group Hayat Tahrir al Sham launched a surprise offensive in late November, reigniting a civil war that had been stagnant for over four years.

Echoing President Joe Biden’s earlier statement on Sunday, Blinken pointed to Syria’s reliance on Russia and Iran, which “led inevitably to its own collapse.”

“The Assad regime’s refusal since 2011 to engage in a credible political process and its reliance on the brutal support of Russia and Iran led inevitably to its own collapse,” he said.

Assad is now in Moscow after Russia gave the Assad family asylum on “humanitarian grounds.”

Blinken concluded by indicating that the U.S. will support efforts to hold the Assad regime “accountable for atrocities and abuses perpetrated against the Syrian people, including the use of chemical weapons.”

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He also mentioned the American journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing in Syria for over 12 years, calling his detention in the country “unjust.” Biden said earlier that bringing Tice back to the U.S. is a top priority.

Regarding the new Syrian government, Biden said the U.S. will engage with other United Nations allies to establish an “independent and sovereign” Syria with a new constitution and government.