Syria’s president is quickly spending through his cash reserves as sanctions choke off many sources of funding, but the regime is getting help from Iran in bolstering finances, CNN reported Monday, May 21. President Bashar Assad likely had about $30 billion in cash reserves to spend when unrest and bloodshed began in March 2011, which have dwindled to about $6 to $9 billion. And with the war against his own people costing him about $1 billion a month, he should have been out of business by the end of the year. But Assad is getting a cash infusion from Iran, funneled in through banks in Lebanon, and Iran’s support combined with Russia’s political and economic support could keep Assad going for months to come.