Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa delivers a speech during a ceremony at the Convention Center as Syrians celebrate the first anniverasy of the fall of the Assad regime, in the Syrian capital Damascus on December 8, 2025. From a former jihadist known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani to Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa has undergone a stunning transformation since ousting longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. On December 8, 2024, Sharaa entered Damascus after leading his Islamist alliance’s lightning offensive from their northwest Syria bastion, capping nearly 14 years of civil war.
Trimming his beard and trading his fatigues for suits, Sharaa settled into the presidential palace where Assad — who fled to Russia — and his family dynasty ruled for decades. Sharaa quickly consolidated power: he was appointed president for a five-year transitional period and formed a government in which allies hold key positions, though parts of the country are still outside their control. The international community has largely welcomed him with open arms, despite bouts of sectarian violence against the Alawite and Druze minorities this year.
Gulf states, key ally Turkey and France are among the countries that have hosted Sharaa, who addressed the United Nations General Assembly in September. His November visit to the White House was the ultimate recognition for a man who once had a $10 million US bounty on his head. In 2025, the world’s most influential online content creator took on extravagant new projects, from an amusement park, an animated series, to a toy brand.
