It looks like Assad's left the stage to the Iranian forces in East Syria.

Water sources in East Syria are suffering from neglect. More and more essential water stations are become inactive due to low maintenance. This makes water unavaliable for the locals. 

The Iranians are taking Assad's place but experts are saying it comes with a price. 

"Media River" reported said that Iranian militia had promised the locals to fix the water infrastructure soon. The reporter added that the region is low on drinking water as prices rise and containers are not sanitized.