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Ahmed al-Sharaa

Ahmed al-Sharaa
The latest news and top stories on Ahmed al-Sharaa, Interim President of Syria. As the former leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), he spearheaded the offensive that overthrew the previous Syrian regime in December 2024. Now serving as interim president, his responsibilities include leading the transitional government, rebuilding state institutions and fostering national unity. Al-Sharaa has actively pursued international re-engagement, securing sanctions relief and conducting diplomatic outreach. His background includes past ties to al-Qaeda, from which he has actively sought to distance himself, focusing on pragmatic governance and stability.
US President Donald Trump salutes as a US Army carry team moves a flagged-draped transfer case containing the remains of Ayad Mansoor Sakat, a US civilian working as an interpreter, at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Middle East

US strikes at Isis fighters in Syria after 3 Americans killed

At least five Isis members were killed in a ‘large-scale’ strike hitting 70 Isis targets across central Syria.

Middle East

Trump vows retaliation after 2 US troops and a civilian killed in Syria ambush

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Donald Trump

Syria’s year of ‘epic’ transformation earns it Trump’s protection

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Middle East

A year after Assad’s fall, can Syria’s new leader deliver lasting peace?

Despite progress, sectarian violence and Kurdish tensions persist as President Ahmed al-Sharaa pushes toward future elections.

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People gather as they celebrate the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s fall, at Ummayad Square in Damascus, Syria on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Israel-Gaza war

Trump invites Netanyahu to White House as US warms to Syria’s president

Another invitation to Israel’s leader was issued after Syria’s president made a historic visit to the White House a few weeks ago.

China-Middle East relations

Why Xinjiang casts a long shadow over China and Syria’s efforts to rebuild ties

The new Syrian government needs help in rebuilding, but Beijing is deeply concerned about Uygur militant groups inside the country.

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China-Middle East relations

China looks to get relations with Syria ‘back on track’ after Assad’s downfall

In first meeting with counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani, Foreign Minister Wang Yi urges new regime to act against Xinjiang militant groups.

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Syrian foreign minister Asaad Al-Shaibani said the country needed “genuine strategic partnerships, especially with China”. Photo: AFP
Syria

Syria joins alliance against Isis after Trump hosts ex-jihadist president

President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s White House visit caps a remarkable turnaround for a former jihadist who once had a US$10 million bounty on his head.

Middle East

Syria leader arrives in US for Trump visit after removal from terror blacklist

Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted Assad, has been working to present a moderate image, in a break from his group’s violent past.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | What Syria’s post-war pivot to China reveals about the new world order

Damascus views engagement with Beijing as a pathway to legitimacy, leverage – and the US$216 billion it needs to rebuild.

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa (right) disembarks from a plane during a state visit to Russia on October 15. He is expected to visit Beijing this month. Photo: Syrian Arab News Agency/AFP
Middle East

Syria to select post-Assad parliamentary members in process deemed undemocratic

A third of the members are appointed by interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has said it is impossible to hold direct elections now.

Residents on a motorcycle ride past war-damaged buildings in a suburb of Damascus, Syria. Photo: AP
Middle East

7 killed in Aleppo bombardment, Syria blames Kurdish-led forces

A semi-autonomous Kurdish administration, with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, controls swathes of a region still divided by fighting.

Middle East

Syria’s President Sharaa hopes for Kurdish deal to prevent conflict

Turkey and the US back the deal to integrate Syria’s oil-rich northeast into the state and want to resolve the issue peacefully, Sharaa said.

Middle East

Syria steps back from Paris meetings with Kurdish-led SDF

In March, the Syrian Democratic Forces signed a deal with the new Islamist-led government in Damascus to join Syria’s state institutions.

A man walks past a mural depicting supporters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), one of them raising a flag showing the face of Abdullah Ocalan -- founding member of the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) outlawed by Turkey, in Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli on December 16 last year. Photo: AFP
Syria

Syria’s elections: a path to inclusion or continued conflict?

A deepening humanitarian crisis and minority grievances complicate Syria’s bid for a centralised state, 14 years after its civil war began.

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Bedouin and tribal fighters deploy as a car burns at the western entrance of Syria’s Druze heartland of Sweida on July 18. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
Middle East

Syria’s future tied to Israel peace deal as billions in investment set to arrive

Gulf Arab, Turkish and Western firms have pledged to invest in Syria to rebuild the war-torn country.

China-Middle East relations

China likely to strengthen backing for Iran as it looks to secure interests

With Iran ‘deeply tied’ to Chinese interests, analyst says it will be a balancing act for Beijing as it pursues regional stability.

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Syria

US revoking ‘terrorist’ designation for Syria’s HTS

Syria’s new leadership has sought to rebuild ties with the international community.

Members of the new armed forces, former rebels who overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s government and now serve in the new Syrian government. File photo: AP
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