Ahmad al-Sharaa

How Syria Can Begin Integrating the SDF

Clashes erupted December 22 in Aleppo between Syrian government troops and the local Kurdish security forces (Asayish), killing at least three people and underscoring the challenges facing efforts to unify armed factions under the Syrian transitional government. Even as Damascus seeks to consolidate nationwide security and integrate armed ...

Why was Sharaa Invited to Washington, but not Aoun?

Until late 2024, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was a U.S.-designated terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head for leading the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. By contrast, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who served as commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) until his election in January 2025, was widely regarded as one of ...

Turkish Ministers to Meet Syria's Sharaa in Damascus

Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers held a joint press conference after talks in Damascus, focusing on relations between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkey’s foreign minister said discussions covered ongoing talks with the SDF and reaffirmed Ankara’s support for integrating the group into Syrian forces in a ...

Aoun Sends Well-Wishes to Al-Sharaa During Airspace Transit

Syrian state news agency SANA reported Tuesday that President Ahmed al-Sharaa received a diplomatic cable from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun as Aoun’s aircraft transited Syrian airspace on its way to the Sultanate of Oman. The gesture came as Damascus marked the first anniversary of its liberation from the former Assad regime. In his ...

Syria's Sharaa Vows to Promote Coexistence, Reconciliation One Year after Assad's Ousting

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa vowed to usher in an era of justice and coexistence a year after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, with tens of thousands taking to the streets to mark the anniversary. Sharaa's Islamist-led alliance launched a lightning offensive in late November last year and took Damascus on December 8, bringing a sudden ...

Syria's Sharaa Calls for United Efforts to Rebuild a Year After Assad's Ouster

President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday urged Syrians to work together to rebuild their country, still marred by insecurity and divisions, as they marked a year since the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. The atmosphere in Damascus was jubilant as thousands of people took to the streets of the capital, AFP correspondents said, after mosques ...

From Jihadist to President: Who is Ahmad al-Sharaa?

One year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Ahmad al-Sharaa has become the central figure guiding Syria’s transition. His swift ascent to power, the advance that reshaped the country, and the decisions made over the past year continue to define Syria’s uncertain path forward.

Sharaa Says Israeli Push for Buffer Zone Would Endanger Syria

President Ahmed al-Sharaa warned Saturday that Israel's demand for a demilitarized zone in southern Syria would endanger his country, as Israeli forces continue to operate in the area. Israel sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone, which has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights since 1974. Sharaa's Islamist forces ...

Sharaa in Washington: A Turning Point for Syria

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited the White House on Monday for a historic meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump that capped a year in which Damascus has rapidly come in from the cold and reintegrated into the international community. Sharaa has helped steer Syria through this complex path, beginning with pushing the Assad regime out of ...

For Many Syrians, Ahmad al-Sharaa's US Visit Marks New Beginning

On the streets of Damascus on Tuesday, Syrians viewed their leader's visit to Washington as a shift towards the West that could pave the way to reviving the country's war-battered economy. On Monday, Donald Trump received Ahmad al-Sharaa, a first for a Syrian head of state since independence in 1946 and a crowning achievement for the ...

Syria Foils Two Islamic State Plots to Assassinate Sharaa

According to Reuters, Syrian authorities have thwarted two separate Islamic State (IS) plots to assassinate President Ahmed al-Sharaa in recent months, in what officials described as a direct threat to the leader as he prepares to join a U.S.-led coalition against the militant group. Two senior officials, one Syrian and one from the broader ...

Syrian President to Visit White House for Landmark Talks

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa is to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday for unprecedented talks, just days after Washington removed him from a terrorism blacklist. Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, will be the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since the ...