When Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa stepped onto the marble floors of the United Nations headquarters in New York on Sunday, the moment marked more than just a diplomatic visit—it was the first time in nearly six decades that a Syrian leader had attended the UN General Assembly. According to the Associated Press, the last such appearance came in 1967, before the Assad family’s dynastic grip on Syria began. Al-Sharaa’s arrival for the opening of the Assembly’s 80th session this Tuesday is being hailed as a watershed for both Syria’s battered international standing and the wider Middle East.
Al-Sharaa’s journey to this global platform is anything but conventional. As reported by Reuters and Al Jazeera, he was once the commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group previously designated a terrorist organization by the United States, with a $10 million bounty on his head. His lightning insurgent offensive last December ousted Bashar al-Assad, ending nearly 50 years of family rule and a civil war that had raged for almost 14 years. The transition from rebel leader to head of state is, as Syrian state media described, a ‘landmark’ development—one that’s been met with both cautious optimism and lingering skepticism in the Arab world and the West.
Restoring diplomatic ties has been a central pillar of al-Sharaa’s early presidency. The Associated Press notes that while officials abroad initially bristled at his militant past, al-Sharaa has worked to reassure Syria’s diverse communities and project an image of coexistence. Yet, that image is complicated: fighters aligned with the new government have faced accusations of violence against the Druze and Alawite minorities, a reminder of the deep wounds left by years of conflict.
Al-Sharaa’s mission in New York is clear—he intends to leverage his UN platform to advocate for further relief from international sanctions that continue to choke Syria’s economic recovery. The stakes are high: as Syria attempts to rebuild its devastated infrastructure, the weight of decades-old restrictions remains a formidable obstacle. In May 2025, a meeting in Riyadh between al-Sharaa and U.S. President Donald Trump, arranged with the help of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, resulted in the U.S. lifting many of the sanctions imposed during the Assad era. "President Trump’s courageous and historic decision to lift the sanctions gives Syria a real shot at stability and unity," al-Sharaa said at the time, as reported by ANI and Times Now News.
However, not all sanctions have vanished. The most stringent—those tied to the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019—require congressional approval for full removal. According to Reuters, while a large swathe of restrictions has been eased, these remaining measures continue to limit Syria’s access to global finance and reconstruction aid. Al-Sharaa is expected to make a strong case at the UN for further relief, arguing that sanctions now hinder the prospects of peace and development more than they punish past abuses.
Beyond sanctions, Syria’s fraught relationship with Israel looms large. Since Assad’s ouster, Israel has seized a former UN-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and launched hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military positions, as AP and Al Jazeera both report. Negotiations for a new security arrangement are ongoing, with al-Sharaa recently suggesting an agreement could be reached within days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, struck a more cautious note on Sunday, saying, “There is some progress, but the deal is still a vision for the future.” The fate of the Golan Heights and the possibility of returning to a 1974 disengagement agreement remain central to these talks.
Al-Sharaa’s efforts to restore Syria’s global standing have not gone unnoticed in other capitals. After years of pariah status, Syria is slowly regaining legitimacy, thanks in part to what Times Now News describes as “quiet but significant US backing.” The president’s willingness to engage with former adversaries and his overtures for coexistence have helped him shed some of the baggage of his militant past. Still, the legacy of violence and the challenge of uniting a fractured nation present formidable hurdles.
Domestically, Syria is preparing for its first parliamentary elections since Assad’s fall, scheduled for October 5, 2025. According to AP and Syrian officials, the vote will not be a direct nationwide election. Instead, two-thirds of the People’s Assembly will be chosen through provincial electoral colleges, and al-Sharaa will appoint the remaining one-third. Officials have explained that direct elections are not feasible at this stage due to widespread displacement and the loss of personal documentation after nearly 14 years of war. The UN estimates that 850,000 Syrian refugees have returned home since Assad’s ouster, but millions remain scattered across the region and beyond.
Al-Sharaa’s rise to power is, in many ways, emblematic of the broader transformations sweeping the Middle East. His journey from rebel commander to president reflects both the volatility and the possibility for renewal that define the region today. As he told reporters in New York, “We are here to show that Syria is ready to turn the page. The world wants a stable and unified Syria, and so do we.”
Yet, the road ahead is anything but certain. Sectarian violence continues to flare, as seen in the June unrest in Suwayda, and the scars of war have left deep divisions within Syrian society. The international community remains divided on how to support Syria’s recovery without emboldening those responsible for past atrocities. The upcoming elections—while a step toward normalization—are unlikely to resolve these underlying tensions overnight.
For now, al-Sharaa’s historic return to the UN General Assembly stands as a symbol of Syria’s tentative re-emergence on the world stage. Whether this moment will usher in lasting peace and prosperity, or merely mark another chapter in the country’s long saga of conflict and change, remains to be seen. What’s clear is that, for the first time in generations, Syria’s future is being debated not just in the shadows of war, but in the halls of global diplomacy.
As the world watches, Syria’s new president faces the daunting task of reconciling the past with the promise of a new beginning. The choices made in New York, in Damascus, and across the region in the coming weeks will shape the fate of a nation long defined by its struggles—and now, perhaps, by its hope for renewal.