From jihadist to statesman: Ex-al-Qaeda fighter Ahmad al-Sharaa attends UNGA in New York — over two decades after 9/11

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in New York on Sunday to attend the United Nations General Assembly, marking the first visit by a Syrian head of state in nearly six decades. His appearance comes less than a year after his forces toppled Bashar al-Assad’s long-ruling regime, ending more than half a century of Assad family rule and nearly 14 years of civil war.

The last Syrian leader to address the General Assembly was Nureddin al-Atassi in 1967. Al-Sharaa’s visit is therefore being seen as a historic and controversial return for Damascus to the international stage.

From jihadist commander to president

Al-Sharaa seized power in December after leading a lightning insurgent offensive that ended Assad’s reign. Once a senior figure in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a militant group designated by Washington as a terrorist organisation, his rise has unsettled Western governments wary of his past ties to al-Qaeda.

Since assuming office, al-Sharaa has sought to portray himself as a reformer. He has held talks with leaders including US President Donald Trump in Riyadh and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, and has pledged to rebuild Syria as a “safe, stable and unified” country. In May, Trump moved to ease decades-old sanctions on Syria, though the most severe restrictions under the 2019 Caesar Act remain in place.

Al-Sharaa continues to face criticism over allegations of sectarian killings by fighters loyal to his new government, particularly against Druze and Alawite minorities. His administration also remains under UN sanctions, forcing him to request exemptions to travel abroad.

Sanctions, Israel talks and Syria’s future

Alongside his UNGA address, al-Sharaa is expected to lobby for further sanctions relief to aid Syria’s reconstruction. In a pre-recorded interview with CBS aired on Sunday, he praised Trump’s decision to lift sanctions as “a courageous and historic step” and accused those seeking to maintain them of being “complicit in killing the Syrian people once again.”

Talks with Israel are also high on the agenda. Since Assad’s fall, Israel has occupied parts of southern Syria and conducted hundreds of airstrikes on military sites. Negotiations for a new security arrangement are underway, with al-Sharaa insisting a deal could be reached within days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, cautioned that while there had been “some progress,” a breakthrough remained “still a vision for the future.”

Meanwhile, Syria’s first parliamentary elections since Assad’s overthrow are scheduled for 5 October, though most seats will be decided through an electoral college rather than a direct popular vote, citing logistical challenges for millions of displaced citizens.