The banknote features Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s portrait and there are already several theories as to what this might mean for the ongoing civil war between Assad’s government and domestic opposition forces.

With a new banknote, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad tells everyone he’s here to stay. Some experts believe the introduction of Assad's face on Syrian currency for the first time in his 17-year rule is an assertion of his strenght over the country.

Assad's serious-looking portrait on the new banknote is also raising eyebrows. Landis, who is the director of the University of Oklahoma's Center for Middle East Studies, told the Washington Post that the banknote seems like a declaration of Assad's new approach to his rule. Once thought of as a reformer, the Syrian president has now made clear his intentions as an authoritarian after six years of brutal civil war. Reported by Vox.