After nearly six decades, a Syrian President finally stood before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to deliver an address that marked a significant turning point for the nation. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa spoke, crowds across Syrian cities and towns watched on giant screens, proudly waving their country’s flags, signifying a moment of national importance.
President al-Sharaa declared Syria’s return to the international community, acknowledging the profound suffering endured over six decades of dictatorship, which led to a million deaths and the torture of countless citizens. He emphasized that Syria was now “reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world.”
This address by al-Sharaa was the first by a Syrian head of state since Noureddine Attasi’s speech in 1967, which occurred shortly after the Arab-Israeli war when Syria lost control of the Golan Heights, later annexed by Israel in 1981.
The Assad family’s autocratic and repressive rule began in Syria with a bloodless coup in 1970, which ousted Attasi. For decades, Syria maintained strained relations with the United States due to its alliance with the Soviet Union. During this period, it was typically Syria’s Foreign Ministers, not its President, who addressed the UN General Assembly.
The 54-year autocratic rule of the Assad dynasty in Syria dramatically ended in December, when President Bashar Assad was overthrown in a swift insurgent offensive led by al-Sharaa. This marked a profound turning point in the country’s 14-year civil war.
In his speech, President al-Sharaa strongly criticized Israel, stating that its threats against Syria persisted even after Assad’s fall. He argued that Israel’s policies undermine international support for Syria and its people, risking regional instability and conflicts of unknown scope.
Talks are currently in progress for a security agreement that President al-Sharaa hopes will lead to the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement. Although al-Sharaa expressed optimism last week about a deal being finalized within days, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statements suggested a less hopeful outlook for a quick breakthrough.
Later that Wednesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office confirmed ongoing negotiations with Syria. The statement emphasized that any resolution must safeguard Israel’s interests, including the demilitarization of southwestern Syria and ensuring the safety and security of the Druze community within Syria.
Since taking office, President al-Sharaa has promoted coexistence and aimed to reassure Syria’s minority communities. However, the nation has recently faced surges of sectarian violence, resulting in hundreds of deaths earlier this year. Reports also surfaced accusing gunmen associated with the new government of committing atrocities against Druze and Alawite religious minorities in southern Syria and along the coast.
President al-Sharaa announced during his speech that the Syrian state has initiated fact-finding missions and granted the United Nations full authority to investigate the year’s killings. He vowed to bring “anyone whose hands are tainted with the blood of Syrian people to justice.”
He further stated that the new Syrian government has dismantled the illicit drug trade previously used by the Assad regime to fund itself amidst severe Western sanctions and a war-paralyzed economy. Assad’s overthrow exposed large-scale Captagon manufacturing, an amphetamine-like stimulant that fueled an estimated $10 billion annual global trade.
In recent months, Syrian authorities have systematically closed Captagon factories across the country as part of their comprehensive effort to eradicate this illegal trade.
President al-Sharaa implored Western nations to lift the sanctions originally imposed on the Assad regime, arguing they should no longer “shackle the Syrian people.” In a related development, U.S. President Donald Trump met al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May, subsequently announcing and then implementing the lifting or waiving of numerous long-standing sanctions against Syria.
However, the most severe sanctions, enacted by Congress under the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, still require a congressional vote for their permanent removal.
Addressing reporters outside the UN after his speech, al-Sharaa expressed optimism that these sanctions would eventually be lifted, noting that a majority of Congress members seemed to favor repealing the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act.
“Syria does not wish the pain it passed through for anyone,” President al-Sharaa stated, emphasizing, “We are among the people who most deeply feel the suffering of war and destruction. Therefore, we support the people of Gaza.”