Overview

• Six months after the overthrow of Baschar al-Assad on December 8, President Ahmed al-Scharaa leads a transitional government tasked with uniting a deeply divided society.
• Renewed sectarian clashes have killed dozens in coastal regions and stoked fear among Alawite, Druze and Christian minorities.
• An agreement between the transitional authorities and Kurdish groups aims to integrate autonomous areas into national institutions, though details on security and governance remain unresolved.
• U.S. President Donald Trump lifted sanctions in mid-May and the EU followed days later, reopening trade channels and unlocking access to international finance for reconstruction.
• Despite the return of roughly 400,000 refugees and over 1 million internally displaced, the UN reports that 90 percent of Syrians still depend on humanitarian aid.