OPINION: New government in Syria
Dr. James E. Sulton Jr.
JA International Correspondent
No one should think the December 2024 fall of the government in Syria was an example of mere regime change. Nor should the new leadership in place now be viewed as the result of any democratic sort of political development. Rather, the fall of the dominion of Bashar al Assad in Syria reflects the collapse of a political dynasty having ruled the country for decades under the authoritarian command of a single (Assad) family.
The 2024 revolution unfolded gradually from the Syrian civil war, which began more than a decade earlier and ultimately weakened the government’s hold on power.
The Syrian civil war arose in 2011 when peaceful anti-government protests, in Syrian cities such as Daraa, Homs, and Aleppo, erupted in synchronization with the international movement known as the Arab Spring. Protesters encountered violent repression by Bashar al-Assad’s government even to the extent of facing chemical weapons. The regime’s crackdown escalated into military repression and then morphed into a widespread war. Over time, the conflict became far more than a simple government-vs-rebels type of civil war: Islamist groups, Kurdish-led forces, ISIS, and foreign powers such as Russia, Iran, Turkey, the United States, and others all became involved.
In fact, the international community had seriously misjudged the strength of the Assad regime. This fixation on external politics was overtaken by internal events. Syria’s war expanded over the years because multiple local and foreign interests overlapped. The Assad government was backed mainly by Russia and Iran, while different rebel factions received support from various outside states, and Kurdish-led forces fought both ISIS and, at times, Turkish-backed groups. As the war fragmented, it turned into a patchwork of front lines rather than one clear battle.
Although Bashar al-Assad remained in power for decades, his government became increasingly fragile over time. The regime had been decaying and fragmenting from within since at least 2020. It finally fell apart due to:
• Economic collapse– massive destruction of Syria’s economic infrastructure by the war combined with international sanctions applied by the U.S. and other western nations
• Military exhaustion – stemming from Syria’s heavy reliance on Russian air power and Iranian-backed militias to stay in power
• Territorial fragmentation – fomented by Kurdish autonomous regions in the northeast; and
• Opposition enclaves in the northwest.
ISIS seized large areas in eastern Syria and western Iraq in 2014, which attracted a U.S.-led coalition focused on defeating the mujahideen. The Syrian government later regained major cities such as Aleppo in 2016, but fighting continued unabated in other regions.
In late 2024, a rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham helped remove Assad from power, and his fall marked the end of the civil war. Ahmad al-Sharaa became the new President of Syria. Al-Sharaa is a former rebel leader also known by his guerilla name, Abu Mohammad al-Julani. He led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and became Syria’s interim president in January 2025 after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
On November 10, 2025, Ahmed al-Sharaa made history as the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since 1946. The closed-door Oval Office meeting focused on counterterrorism cooperation, Syria joining a U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, reducing Iranian influence, and improving Israel-Syria ties. The U.S. extended sanctions relief for 180 days. There have been no White House meetings thus far in 2026.
Syria’s post-Assad transition under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa shows limited progress toward unity and reconstruction, but persistent security threats and integration challenges cloud its path forward.
