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Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new de facto leader of Syria, has urged the international community to lift sanctions on the war-torn country, insisting Syria no longer poses a threat to its neighbors or to the West.
In an interview with the BBC in Damascus, Sharaa — who recently led the offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime — said the sanctions were aimed at the former government and should no longer apply.
“Now, after all that has happened, sanctions must be lifted because they were targeted at the old regime,” Sharaa said. “the victim and the oppressor should not be treated in the same way.”
Sharaa, who heads the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has faced significant international scrutiny due to the group’s origins as an offshoot of al-Qaeda. the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom currently classify HTS as a terrorist organization. However, Sharaa, formerly known by his 'nom de guerre' Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, dismissed this label.
“We are not a terrorist group,” he said, claiming that HTS does not target civilians or civilian areas and instead sees itself as a victim of the Assad regime’s violence.
Sharaa also pushed back against comparisons to Afghanistan, saying Syria has its own identity and traditions. “Afghanistan is a tribal society, but Syria has a different mindset,” he explained.
He also emphasized his support for women’s education, citing universities in the rebel-held Idlib province where he claims more than 60% of students are women.
On social issues, Sharaa remained non-committal, particularly regarding alcohol consumption. “There are many things I just don’t have the right to talk about because they are legal issues,” he said. He promised that a committee of legal experts would draft Syria’s new constitution, and any future leader would be bound by that law.
During the interview, Sharaa appeared calm and wore civilian clothes, signaling an attempt to present a moderate image. However, many Syrians remain skeptical of his claims and worry that HTS has not entirely broken with its extremist past.
How Syria’s new leadership acts in the coming months will determine the country’s future direction and whether the international community is willing to engage with the new government.
