December 8th, 2024, could be marked as the most important day for all of Syria. It was the end of the Assad regime that Bashar al-Assad ruled for 24 years, following his father Hafez al-Assad after 30 years of dictatorship. Preceding this, Syria operated under a period of political instability marked by frequent coups, political chaos, and a series of unstable governments. The country experienced this instability after gaining independence from France in 1946. Following independence, there was a joint state with Egypt for a short time until it became known officially as the Syrian Arab Republic, until today.
Why this transition of power is different from the rest, when not looking at only Syria but the rest of its Arab countries following the Arab Spring, is the origins of this overthrow. Ahmed al-Sharaa was the leader of the paramilitary group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). After controlling the area in the north, he marched south to find Bashar al-Assad fleeing the country, where he would become the de facto leader of Syria. This was a very emotional, exciting, and scary time for Syrians all around the world, as many had been displaced due to the war their previous president had started. He made promises and set priorities such as “filling the power vacuum, maintaining civil peace, building state institutions, building and developing the economy, and restoring Syria’s international and regional standing.” All of this sounded amazing and relieving to hear, but it was met with significant skepticism. The 2025 Interim Constitution of Syria was established, a temporary constitution to govern the country for a five-year transitional period, and an electoral system was conducted. This was to make clear that this system was temporary and the next election would be through a democratic popular vote. Al-Sharaa met with Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara A. Leaf, who described the meeting as pragmatic, noting that it involved “no recitation of 40 years of history.”
This marked a rapid diplomatic period of union national and rebuilding international diplomacy. Al-Sharaa combined all the army factions within the country and created a sense of unification in the country that had not been present for a long time. People would take to the streets, rejecting the many labels that they hold from Sunni, Shia, Druze, Christian, Alawi, and calling themselves Syrian above all. On January 3rd, 2025, al-Sharaa met with French and German ministers and has since been building direct relations with Trump and Putin. He has met with leaders and ministers from Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Azerbaijan, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Italy, and was most recently invited to the Oval Office by Donald Trump to meet with him and his cabinet.
Domestically, Syrians have seen improvement in many areas of life. Electricity outages, which used to last for many hours at a time, have now decreased noticeably. After decades of severe international sanctions, companies are returning as well; software companies such as Google can now advertise in Syria, and more airlines are flying into the country, increasing competition and lowering prices for travelers.
Unfortunately, throughout this whole transition of power, countries like Israel have taken advantage of the chaos and change. Israel has notably pushed its occupation of the Golan Heights, located in southern Syria. This is alarming because of its proximity to Damascus, and the direct effects of this advancement have been clear. Israel carried out dozens to hundreds of military incursions and airstrikes in Syria in 2025, including at least 22 ground operations in one month and a high-profile strike on July 16th, 2025, against the Ministry of Defense located in the center of Damascus. What is daunting is that Syria conducted zero military incursions into Israel in 2025, striving instead for international security and respectability. Yet these ongoing hostilities have made negotiations and dialogue with its allies increasingly difficult.
Opinions of Ahmed al-Sharaa vary for many reasons, but it is important to take a step back and acknowledge that much of his work so far has aimed at serving the interests of Syria as a whole. Understandably, many Syrians are wary of al-Sharaa’s increasingly strong relationship with the United States, as America cannot be viewed as an ally after pursuing its own interests in the region, contributing to the destabilization of multiple Arab nations, and causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands across the Arab world. However, they fail to realize that without America’s help, the country will never be able to reach its full potential if sanctions are imposed for not accepting the terms. Sanctions are the main factor preventing Syria from achieving economic growth. If they are not lifted, local businesses and investors will not be able to participate in the global market. Al-Sharaa is also controversial because of his military background. Understanding how he has spent the last few years in Idlib is an outline of how he will treat his country. He was tolerant of all Syrians, irrespective of background, and wanted Idlib to run as if there was no government presence, letting people live as they wished in peace and harmony. Had he wanted to change society for people in Syria, he would not be trying so hard to build international security with so many nations. His frequent participation in interviews and media appearances, including with major Western outlets such as 60 Minutes, FOX News, CNN, and PBS, is a sign of openness and willingness to engage publicly.
One of the regions that remains in a state of tension is the Kurdish region, located in the northeast of Syria. America has controlled this region since 2014 to help bring stability during the civil war. This area was decided to be occupied because of the large Kurdish population that had already been helping fight off ISIS members, whom America saw as its main threat. This region is crucial to be reintegrated into the country because of its oil fields, on which American troops stand on. This oil deficit was filled with help from Iran, which America did not like, keeping them from continuing to deploy troops atop their oil, continuing the cycle. The Kurdish people have difficulty joining Syria because of the conditions that have been set, which include dissolving their army. The Syrian government sees this as a threat within its borders, and Kurdistan sees this as its only defence since it wants its own autonomy. This conundrum was held by the Syrian government and the countries surrounding Syria. There is no clear answer for the correct approach, making this a long-standing problem.
Syria, throughout history, has made significant contributions to human civilization and has cities that have withstood empires from the Babylonians to the Ottomans to the French Mandate. The present moment calls for more than mere survival; it demands the full realization of freedom and the right to self-govern, especially as the nation celebrates its break from the old Assad regime this week. What Syria needs presently more than ever is freedom to grow and become independent. Now is the time for Syria to have a fresh start and redefine its name, no longer as a war-torn country full of refugees but as the vibrant, beautiful, and irreplaceable jewel of the Middle East.
