Syria’s President Ahmad Al-Sharaa delivers a speech during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday at the U.N. headquarters.
Heather Khalifa/AP
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Heather Khalifa/AP
NEW YORK – In a historic moment that breaks nearly six decades of absence, Syria’s president took the podium at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. Across Syrian cities, crowds gathered around large screens, waving national flags as they followed the address live.
Ahmad al-Sharaa declared that Syria is rejoining the global community after enduring 60 years under authoritarian rule that claimed the lives of one million citizens and subjected countless others to torture. “Syria is reclaiming its rightful position among the world’s nations,” he proclaimed to the assembly of international leaders.
Al-Sharaa’s speech marked the first time a Syrian president has spoken at the U.N. since Noureddine Attasi’s address in 1967, shortly after the Arab-Israeli conflict that resulted in Syria losing the Golan Heights, a territory Israel annexed in 1981.
Since the Assad family seized power in a bloodless coup in 1970, Syria’s ties with the United States have been strained, largely due to Damascus’s alliance with the former Soviet Union. For decades, Syria’s foreign ministers, rather than its presidents, represented the country at the U.N.
A New Chapter Following the Assad Regime’s Fall
The Assad dynasty’s 54-year autocratic reign ended abruptly last December when insurgents led by al-Sharaa launched a swift offensive that ousted then-President Bashar Assad. This event marked a pivotal turning point in Syria’s 14-year civil war.
In his address, al-Sharaa criticized Israel for continuing its hostile actions against Syria since Assad’s removal, accusing it of undermining international efforts to support the Syrian people and destabilizing the region. He warned that such policies risk igniting conflicts with unpredictable outcomes.
Negotiations are ongoing regarding a security arrangement that al-Sharaa hopes will lead to Israeli troop withdrawals and a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement. While al-Sharaa expressed optimism about a swift resolution, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently tempered expectations about reaching a deal soon.
Later on Wednesday, Netanyahu’s office confirmed that talks with Syria are in progress, emphasizing that any agreement must safeguard Israel’s interests, including the demilitarization of southwestern Syria and the protection of the Druze community.
Since taking office, al-Sharaa has promoted unity and sought to reassure Syria’s minority groups. However, sectarian violence earlier this year claimed hundreds of lives, with government-affiliated militants accused of committing abuses against Druze and Alawite civilians in southern and coastal regions.
Al-Sharaa announced that the Syrian government has established fact-finding commissions and granted the United Nations authority to investigate this year’s killings. “I vow to hold accountable anyone responsible for the bloodshed of the Syrian people,” he affirmed.
Crackdown on Drug Trafficking Advances
Al-Sharaa highlighted the new administration’s efforts to dismantle the drug trade that flourished under Assad’s regime, which used narcotics trafficking to finance its operations amid crippling Western sanctions and war-induced economic collapse. The fall of Assad exposed large-scale production facilities for Captagon, a potent amphetamine-like drug fueling a $10 billion global market.
In recent months, Syrian authorities have shut down multiple Captagon factories across the country as part of their campaign to eradicate illicit drug manufacturing.
Al-Sharaa appealed to Western nations to lift sanctions imposed during Assad’s rule, stating, “We call for the complete removal of these sanctions so they no longer serve as instruments to oppress the Syrian people.”
In May, President Trump met with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia and announced the lifting of decades-old sanctions against Syria. He followed through by waiving or removing many restrictions.
Nonetheless, the most stringent sanctions, enacted by Congress under the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, remain in place and require legislative approval for repeal.
After his speech, al-Sharaa expressed hope that Congress would eventually vote to lift these sanctions, noting that a majority of lawmakers support this move.
“Syria does not wish suffering upon anyone. We are among those who have endured the most pain from war and devastation,” al-Sharaa said. “Therefore, we stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza.”
Divisions Among Syrians Surface in New York
Back in Damascus, jubilant crowds gathered at Umayyad Square to celebrate al-Sharaa’s address. Meanwhile, in New York’s Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, members of the Syrian diaspora staged opposing demonstrations-one backing the new government in Damascus, the other opposing it.
Supporters of the government waved the three-star “revolution flag,” now Syria’s official banner, while opponents displayed the five-colored Druze flag. Tensions ran high as both sides exchanged shouts and insults across barricades.
Among the protesters against al-Sharaa was Farah Taki, a Druze originally from Sweida, who traveled from Chicago. She condemned his presence at the U.N., calling it “a disgrace to welcome a former leader of an insurgent group once linked to al-Qaida.”
On the other side, Dina Keenawari, a Syrian American from Damascus who came from Florida, voiced her support for al-Sharaa. “We have suffered under tyranny for over half a century. Now, we are turning a new page and looking forward with hope,” she said. “We are proud of him.”
