Al-Sharaa becomes first Syrian leader in nearly 60 years to address UN General Assembly
Syria had not been represented at the UN by a head of state since before the Assad dynasty, which ended last December when Sharaa’s forces swiftly removed Bashar Assad from power.
September 22, 2025 10:57 AM IST
First published on: Sep 22, 2025 at 10:56 AM IST
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Sharaa is expected to deliver his first address at the General Assembly, which opens its 80th session on Tuesday. (File Photo)
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in New York on Sunday to attend the United Nations General Assembly, the first Syrian leader to take part in the gathering since 1967, according to the Associated Press (AP). The last appearance by a Syrian head of state came before the decades-long Assad family rule, which ended last December when Bashar Assad was ousted in a lightning insurgent offensive led by Sharaa.
Sharaa is expected to deliver his first address at the General Assembly, which opens its 80th session on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
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Sharaa, a former commander of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, once designated a terrorist organisation by the United States, previously had a $10 million US bounty on his head, according to Reuters. Since assuming power, he has sought to rebuild ties abroad while promoting coexistence at home.
AP reported that officials in both the Arab world and the West were initially cautious about his past militant links. While Sharaa has tried to reassure Syria’s minority communities, fighters aligned with his government have been accused of killing civilians from the Druze and Alawite minorities.
Sanctions relief and US support
The Syrian president is expected to use his UN platform to press for further relief from international sanctions that have strained the country’s recovery efforts. AP reported that US President Donald Trump met with Sharaa in Riyadh in May, announcing the lifting of many sanctions imposed under the Assad regime.
Most restrictions were later eased, Reuters said, but sanctions tied to the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 remain in force. Those measures would require congressional approval to be fully removed.
Relations with Israel
Ties with Israel are also likely to feature prominently in New York. Since Assad’s fall, Israel has stepped up military activity in Syria, seizing a former UN-patrolled buffer zone in the south and launching hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian positions, AP reported.
Negotiations for a new security arrangement are underway. Sharaa recently said an agreement could be reached in a matter of days, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday cautioned that, although “there is some progress,” any deal remained “a vision for the future.”
Syrian officials on Sunday also announced the first parliamentary elections since Assad’s ouster will be held on October 5. According to AP, two-thirds of the People’s Assembly will be chosen through provincial electoral colleges, while Sharaa will appoint the remaining one-third.
Officials said holding direct nationwide elections was not feasible due to displacement and missing documentation after nearly 14 years of civil war.
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Sharaa is expected to deliver his first address at the General Assembly, which opens its 80th session on Tuesday. (File Photo) 
