From Jihadist to President: the rise of Ahmad al-Sharaa in Syria

Ahmad al-Sharaa, former leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has gone from wanted man with a $10 million bounty to president of Syria, gaining international attention and the support of Donald Trump

Six months ago, Ahmad al-Sharaa, former leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was an internationally known jihadist, wanted with a $10 million bounty on his head. Today, surprisingly, he is the president of Syria. Formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, Sharaa has undergone an extraordinary political metamorphosis to lead the country once under the control of Bashar al-Assad.

Ahmad al-Sharaa’s rise to power

In December last year, the HTS, an armed group led by him, took control of Syria and succeeded in overthrowing the Assad regime. Sharaa’s victory marked a new era for the country, but also a radical turning point for himself: the former jihadist left his military uniform behind to put on an elegant suit and launched himself into a full-fledged diplomatic offensive, with the aim of rewriting his image and trying to lift the international sanctions imposed on Syria.

From the fight against Assad to international diplomacy

The rise of al-Sharaa has not gone unnoticed. Its group, originally affiliated with Al-Qaeda under the name Al Nusra, has been declared a terrorist organisation by the United Nations and the United States. However, in his new role as president, al-Sharaa has tried to present Syria in a different light, promising a regime that describes itself as friendly, inclusive and non-belligerent.

In December, a significant change occurred when the US removed the $10 million bounty on his head after an official visit of an American delegation to Damascus. This sign of international openness marked a phase of détente towards the new Syrian government.

The US intervention and the lifting of sanctions

The latest step in Syria’s transformation came last Tuesday, when US President Donald Trump announced his intention to lift economic sanctions against Syria, a move he said would allow the country to “have a chance at greatness”. The decision was made after discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, both crucial allies in the process of normalising Syria internationally.

Sanctions and the Syrian economic situation

International sanctions have crippled the Syrian economy for years. Among the most severe is the US “Caesar Act”, introduced in 2019, which imposed heavy restrictions on anyone who sought to support the Assad regime economically. This law had a devastating impact on the entire Syrian economic system, creating enormous difficulties for the population and making all forms of development almost impossible.

With the lifting of sanctions, Trump and his allies hope to open the door to a new phase of growth for Syria, boosting reconstruction and promoting political stabilisation in the region. However, the outcome of the Syrian civil war is still far from being resolved and the international community is closely watching Sharaa’s moves and his future policies.

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