Presidency of Ahmed al-Sharaa

Fall of the Assad regime

On 8 December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed during a major offensive by opposition forces. The offensive was led by HTS and supported mainly by the Syrian National Army as part of the Syrian civil war that began with the Syrian Revolution in 2011. The capture of Damascus marked the end of the Assad family's rule, which had governed Syria as a hereditary sectarian totalitarian regime since Hafez al-Assad assumed power in 1971 following a coup d'état.^[13] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched military operations in Syria's Quneitra Governorate, advancing armored units into the buffer zone between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the rest of Syria and targeting areas such as Tel Ayouba in the central Quneitra countryside with artillery fire, marking the first time in 50 years that Israeli forces crossed the Purple Line since the ceasefire agreements of 31 May 1974 following the Yom Kippur War.^[14][15][16]

Then, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa became the de facto leader of Syria on 8 December 2024, serving as General Commander and head of the New Syrian Administration.^[1][17] The same day, al-Sharaa delivered a speech at Damascus's Umayyad Mosque, calling the fall of Assad's regime "a new chapter in the history of the region" and condemning Syria's role as "a playground for Iranian ambitions", characterized by sectarianism and corruption.^[18] In his victory speech following the fall of Damascus, he condemned Iran as a source of sectarianism and corruption, and framed the triumph as a turning point for Syria.^[18] After the fall of the Assad regime, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, Bashar al-Assad's ninth prime minister, remained in office in a caretaker capacity with the support of the opposition and al-Sharaa until a caretaker government led by Mohammed al-Bashir was formed,^[19] and the position of prime minister was subsequently abolished on 29 March 2025 when the Syrian transitional government replaced the caretaker administration.^[20][21]

Post-Assad governance

Only a few days after the fall of Assad's regime, Syria's de facto leader, al-Sharaa, met with Turkish officials, marking the first diplomatic delegation to Syria since Assad's overthrow.^[22] The United States rescinded a seven-year-old $10 million "reward for justice" bounty on information leading to al-Sharaa's capture after he met with a U.S. delegation—the first formal U.S. diplomatic presence in Syria in over 10 years—with a U.S. envoy stating that the action was a political decision to initiate dialogue with HTS, noting that during the Damascus discussions al-Sharaa committed not to allow ISIS or other terrorist groups to operate within Syria.^[23][24][25]

On 24 December, al-Sharaa announced the dissolution and merger of multiple rebel factions, including the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, into the caretaker government's Ministry of Defense, while excluding the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces due to conflicts with Turkish-backed rebels in northeastern Syria. This reorganization coincided with his efforts to establish new state institutions, including law enforcement and security forces, amid reports of revenge killings and highway banditry, and included the creation of processing centers for former regime soldiers and the initiation of police force recruitment.^[26]

In an interview with al-Arabiya on 29 December, al-Sharaa said that he expected the process of writing a new constitution of Syria to take two or three years, with elections expected after four years.^[27][28][29] Later that day, al-Sharaa announced the promotion of 42 individuals to the rank of Colonel, five to the rank of Brigadier general, and two to the rank of Major general in the Syrian Army to the Minister of Defence Murhaf Abu Qasra and Chief of the General Staff of the Syrian Armed Forces and Army Ali Noureddine al-Naasan, who were both elevated to the rank of Major general.^[30][31] On 30 December, Ukraine's top diplomat met with al-Sharaa in Damascus.^[32][33][34]

On 3 January 2025, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot became the first top diplomats from European Union member states to visit Damascus since the fall of Assad, meeting with al-Sharaa to discuss a new political beginning between Europe and Syria, and on 29 January, a Russian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov also visited Damascus to meet al-Sharaa, reaffirming Moscow's support for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity following the regime's collapse.^[35][36][37]

First 100 days

Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the first 100 days of al-Sharaa's transitional government received mixed reactions.^[47] Syria remained politically and regionally divided and continued to face foreign influence and various forms of external occupation.^[47] The country also confronted serious economic challenges.^[47] Despite the government's controversial background, the transitional administration managed to ease some international concerns and restore communication with key regional and global partners.^[47]

Cabinet

On 29 March 2025, al-Sharaa announced the formation of the Syrian transitional government during a ceremony at the People's Palace in Damascus, where the newly appointed ministers took their oaths and presented their plans, replacing the Syrian caretaker government established after the fall of the Assad regime. The government included four ministers from minority groups—Yaarub Bader, an Alawite; Amjad Badr, a Druze; Hind Kabawat, a Christian; and Mohammad Abdul Rahman Tarkou, a Kurd—as well as figures from different former opposition groups, such as Mohammed Abu al-Khair Shukri, former member of the Syrian National Coalition and new Minister of Endowments, and Raed al-Saleh, former Director of the White Helmets and new Minister of Disaster Management and Emergency Response, and was described by some observers as technocratic, with ministers chosen according to their competences, according to al-Sharaa.^{[48][49][50][51][52][53]}

Al-Sharaa stated that the new government will reform the energy sector for sustainability and reliable electricity, support farmers to ensure food production, revive the industry, protect national products, attract investment, stabilize the economy, strengthen the Syrian pound, and prevent financial manipulation.^[54] He also retained Asaad al-Shaibani as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and Murhaf Abu Qasra as Minister of Defense.^[55]

Advisors

On 5 April 2025, al-Sharaa appointed Maher al-Sharaa as Secretary-General to the Presidency, succeeding Abdul Rahman Salama.^[60] The position of Secretary-General was reportedly regarded as a high-ranking post within the Syrian state. According to reports, the appointment was seen as nepotistic, as al-Sharaa is the brother of Syria's de facto leader and later president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.^[61] It is reported that Ahmad Muaffaq Zaidan is the media advisor to Syrian President al-Sharaa.^[56][62] Ali Keda was appointed as the Assistant Secretary-General of the Presidencyon 26 May 2025.^[63][64]

Early actions

A day after al-Sharaa's appointment as president, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani became the first head of state to visit Damascus since the fall of the Assad regime to discuss post-conflict reconstruction and other topics, and on 12 February 2025, al-Sharaa held his first contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since Assad's overthrow via a phone call, while also meeting representatives of the Syrian National Coalition and the Syrian Negotiation Commission, including their presidents Hadi al-Bahra and Bader Jamous, with both organizations announced to dissolve under the new authorities.^{[65][66][67][68]}

In mid-February, al-Sharaa made his first official trip to the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, former strongholds of the ousted president Bashar al-Assad, and on 21 February, he met with China's ambassador to Damascus, Shi Hongwei, marking the first official interaction between the two nations since Assad's overthrow, while in early June, he visited Daraa Governorate for the first time since the fall of the Assad regime, coinciding with Eid al-Adha, in the city widely known as the "cradle of the revolution" for being the site of the first protests against Assad.^{[69][70][71][72]}

Under his presidency, al-Sharaa signed a decree on 17 May 2025 appointing Abdulbaset Abdullatif and Mohammad Reda Jalkhi as heads of the commission, granting them 30 days to form a working team and draft the internal regulations for its operation, which led to the establishment of the National Commissions for the Missing and Transitional Justice; he later established the Supreme Council for Economic Development through another decree issued on 9 July 2025 as part of a series of economic reforms introduced after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, aimed at stabilizing and revitalizing the Syrian economy.^[73][74][75] On 27 August 2025, al-Sharaa inaugurated the 62nd Damascus International Fair, the first to be held since the fall of the Assad regime.^[76]

On 19 October 2025, al-Sharaa met with the Minister of Culture Mohammed Yassin Saleh alongside a group of "several writers and poets", during which, "arrangements related to the national anthem of the Syrian Arab Republic were addressed."^[77] In October 2025, al-Sharaa issued a presidential decree defining the country's official holidays, removing March 8 Revolution Day, Teachers' Day, Tishreen Liberation War Day and Martyrs' Day from the list.^[78][79] The decree introduces two new official holidays: the anniversary of Syrian Revolution Day on 18 March and Liberation Day on 8 December, which commemorates the fall of the Assad regime.^[80]

On 29 December 2025, al-Sharaa officially launched the new national currency at the Conferences' Palace in Damascus, attended by his wife Latifa al-Droubi and the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Abdulkader Husrieh, who unveiled the new banknotes, and on 18 February 2026, he signed his first amnesty decree since leading the rebel advance that overthrew Bashar al-Assad, granting pardon to certain offenders while excluding those accused of "serious violations" against the Syrian people.^[81][82]

Syrian Constitutional Declaration

On 29 January 2025, during the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference, Hassan Abdul Ghani, spokesman for the Military Operations Command, announced the repeal of the 2012 Ba'athist-era constitution, and in his first address as president on 31 January, al-Sharaa stated that he would hold a "National Dialogue Conference" and issue a "constitutional declaration" to serve as a legal reference in place of the suspended Assad-era constitution; on 2 March, he established a committee to draft a temporary constitutional declaration to guide the country's transition, and on 13 March, he signed the declaration, which set a five-year transitional period, created a presidential system with executive power vested in the president who appoints ministers and eliminated the position of prime minister, enshrined Islamic law as the main source of jurisprudence while preserving freedoms of opinion and expression, and established the People's Assembly to act as parliament during the transition and oversee the drafting of a new permanent constitution.^{[83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90]}

Western Syria clashes

By 6 March 2025, clashes broke out in Western Syria between Assad loyalists and the armed forces of the Syrian caretaker government. It was the worst violence to have occurred since rebels toppled the Assad regime.^[91] Condemning attacks against police forces, hospitals, and civilians by Assadist insurgents, al-Sharaa stated, "You attacked all Syrians and made an unforgivable mistake. The riposte has come, and you have not been able to withstand it," demanding that they surrender their weapons "before it's too late" and affirming that he would "continue to work towards monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state, and there will be no more unregulated weapons."^[92][93][94]

Al-Sharaa urged fighters in the pro-government armed forces to "avoid any abuses" following reports of massacres of Alawite civilians in Latakia, and on 9 March, he announced the formation of an independent national committee of seven judges to investigate the events and violations in the Syrian coastal areas, emphasizing that the committee must submit its findings to the president within 30 days and describing the coastal violence as part of the "expected challenges."^[95][96][97] On 10 March, al-Sharaa condemned the mass killings of Alawites, emphasizing that such violence threatens national unity, pledging to hold all perpetrators accountable—including those within his own ranks—attributing the initial violence to pro-Assad groups backed by foreign entities while acknowledging subsequent revenge attacks, and reiterating his commitment to uphold the rule of law and prevent the nation from descending into sectarian conflict.^[98]

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 1,614 civilians were killed by armed militias aligned with the Syrian caretaker government during clashes between 6 and 12 March 2025, and on 12 March, the caretaker government announced the formation of a National Security Council to be chaired by al-Sharaa.^{[99][100][101]}

Syrian Democratic Forces peace deal

On 10 March 2025, al-Sharaa signed an agreement with Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to integrate the SDF into state institutions and bring northeastern Syria under central government control, including a ceasefire, the merging of military forces, and the transfer of border crossings, airports, and oil fields to Syrian state control, while recognizing the Kurdish community as an essential part of Syria with constitutional rights and citizenship protections; however, negotiations on integration remained inconclusive throughout the summer of 2025, with the merger deadline set for the end of the year.^{[102][103][104][105][106]}

During the 6–10 January military operation in Aleppo, Syrian forces took control of the city's Kurdish districts, and in an interview with Shams TV, al-Sharaa described the operation in Sheikh Maqsood as aimed at ensuring security, stability, and safeguarding the country's economic interests, calling it successful while highlighting that it was carried out with minimal costs and allowed for the safe evacuation of civilians.^[107]

The 13–27 January government offensive saw Arab tribes defecting to al-Sharaa's support, the continuous retreat of the SDF, and the de facto collapse of Rojava, and as part of efforts toward reconciliation with the Kurdish population, on 16 January 2026 al-Sharaa issued a decree recognizing Syrian Kurds as an essential part of the Syrian people and the country's diverse national identity, declaring Kurdish a national language and Newroz a national holiday, while his government announced ceasefires with the SDF on 20 and 31 January 2026, including plans to integrate the SDF into the government.^{[108][109][110][111][112][113]}

Southern Syria clashes

In July 2025, armed clashes broke out between Syrian Druze and Bedouin in Suwayda, prompting the Syrian Army to deploy and clash with some militants, while the Israeli Air Force struck Syrian tanks in the area as a "warning" to the new Syrian government; on 16 July, the Israeli Defense Forces bombed the entrance to the Syrian military headquarters in Damascus, citing security concerns over the army's deployment to Suwayda, with heavier strikes severely damaging the main building of the headquarters and later targeting the vicinity of the People's Palace, while additional airstrikes hit multiple targets across the Suwayda and Dorra governorates, including the al-Tha'lah Military Airbase, and that evening the Syrian army began withdrawing from Suwayda after completing operations against "outlaw groups," a move reported by state news agency SANA as being in line with a deal reached between the Syrian transitional government and Druze religious leaders.^{[114][115][116][117][118][119][120][121]}

Shortly after the ceasefire took effect, al-Sharaa addressed Syria, criticizing Israel for its attacks on government forces and civilians, and expressing gratitude to American, Turkish, and Arab mediators for helping de-escalate the conflict.^[122]

Crackdowns on corruption

On 20 August 2025, Reuters reported that al-Sharaa rebuked more than 100 loyalists over corruption and for arriving in luxury vehicles, and on 6 October 2025, he shut down a business office owned by his brother, Jamal al-Sharaa, as part of an anti-corruption crackdown.^[123] His brother, Jamal, denied reports that the Syrian leader reprimanded officials over displays of wealth during a meeting in Idlib province, describing the claims as fabrications intended to distort the truth, while Ahmad Mohammad Deeb Tu'meh, Director of Political Affairs in Rural Damascus, also said the report contained false information, adding, "The president did not address any issue related to luxury cars abroad. I attended the entire meeting and did not hear any such remarks."^[124]

International trips

On 2 February 2025, al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited Saudi Arabia and met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking al-Sharaa's first foreign visit since the fall of the Assad regime.^[142][143]

On 7 May 2025, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on his first official visit to Europe since becoming president of Syria, and on 14 May, he met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia—the first meeting between American and Syrian presidents since Bill Clinton and Hafez al-Assad met in Geneva in 2000—during which Trump urged him to join the Abraham Accords.^{[144][145][146][147]}

On 24 September, he addressed the general debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the first Syrian leader to do so since Nureddin al-Atassi in 1967.^[148][d] He also met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after which the latter announced the restoration of diplomatic relations between their countries that had been severed following the Assad regime's decision to recognize the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics in June 2022.^[151]

On 15 October, he met with President Vladimir Putin in Russia, declaring Syria's intention to "redefine" its relations while reaffirming existing agreements, and marking the first official visit since the fall and subsequent exile of Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad; Putin praised Syria's recent election and expressed support for continued cooperation.^[152][153]

On 29 October, he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Kosovan President Vjosa Osmani in Saudi Arabia, during which Syria officially recognized the Republic of Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state, following a trilateral meeting in Riyadh that included officials from Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Kosovo.^[154][155]

In November 2025, al-Sharaa arrived in Brazil to attend the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference, marking the first time a Syrian president has participated in the annual climate summit since its establishment in 1995.^[156] On 10 November, al-Sharaa met U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, marking the first visit by a Syrian president to the White House since Syria gained independence in 1946, during which Trump praised al-Sharaa as a "strong leader" and expressed confidence in him, saying, "We'll do everything we can to make Syria successful."^[157][158] Before the visit, Syria formally joined the US-led coalition against the Islamic State.^[159]

On 28 January 2026, al-Sharaa met with Putin in Moscow for the second time to discuss Russia's military presence in Syria, during which Putin reaffirmed Moscow's support for Syria's unity and territorial integrity, congratulated Damascus on recent political developments, and expressed hope that the return of the al-Jazira region would advance the full restoration of Syrian sovereignty, while both sides also emphasised continued economic and reconstruction cooperation.^[160][161]

Two months later, on 30 March, al-Sharaa visited Berlin, where he met with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Friedrich Merz.^[162] The visit included talks with a German government and business delegation, focusing on Syria's reconstruction, refugee return, and economic cooperation.^[163][164]

On 31 March, al-Sharaa met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London to discuss cooperation, security, and reconstruction.^[165] The following day, he was received by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, in a symbolic step reflecting renewed engagement between the United Kingdom and Syria.^[166] Al-Sharaa became the first Syrian head of state to visit London since former president Bashar al-Assad visited the United Kingdom in 2002.^[167]

Easing sanctions in Syria

Since 2011, several countries and international bodies have imposed sanctions on Syria under Bashar al-Assad's rule, mainly due to the regime's violent crackdown on civilians during the civil war.^[168][169] In an interview with The New York Times in April 2025, al-Sharaa stated that the sanctions should be permanently lifted, as they were imposed on the Assad regime. He noted that the sanctions were damaging his government and slowing economic recovery.^[170]

The following month, Trump and the European Union communicated intentions to relax sanctions against Syria.^[171][172] In May 2025, the Trump administration issued a 180-day waiver under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act to ease certain sanctions and support humanitarian relief and early recovery efforts in Syria, and on 30 June, Trump signed an executive order lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria, except those targeting the Assad family, their associates, and related institutions.^[173][174]

In November 2025, with the support of the United States and other countries, the UN Security Council removed al-Sharaa and Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab from the sanctions list of the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee. On 7 November, the United States also delisted him from its Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) sanctions list, while the United Kingdom announced the removal of both him and Khattab from its consolidated sanctions list, stating that he was no longer subject to asset freezes.^{[175][176][177]}

The waiver was extended for an additional 180 days in November 2025 following meetings between U.S. officials and al-Sharaa, signaling a shift toward conditional engagement while retaining legal pressure mechanisms, and in December 2025, the United States Congress voted to repeal the Caesar Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, which, according to France 24, passed the Senate by a vote of 77–20 after prior approval by the House of Representatives and was sent to President Trump for signature, before being signed into law on 18 December 2025.^{[178][179][180]}