Overview

• Ahmed al‑Sharaa used his UN General Assembly speech to call for the total lifting of international sanctions on Syria.
• He denounced the Assad era for decades of repression, citing torture, chemical weapons and mass killings as he sought international backing for his government.
• Al‑Sharaa outlined a reform program that includes new laws, curbing state repression and parliamentary elections next month, a vote that will seat a chamber with one‑third of members appointed by the presidency.
• He warned that regional instability could grow without a security agreement with Israel, referenced Israeli strikes and incursions, and said Syria would pursue responses through diplomatic channels.
• The former insurgent’s past leadership of groups linked to al‑Qaeda affiliates, and a recently withdrawn US bounty, continue to weigh on efforts to normalize ties even as he engages figures like retired US General David Petraeus.