When US President Donald Trump visits the region later this week, he will find that the Middle East has changed considerably since the last time he was here in May 2017. For example, the long half-century of autocratic Assad family rule in Syria is over. Today, the nation is living with a new reality, and the rest of the world is trying to come to terms with it.
First among the confusing issues are the true intentions of the man who swept down from the north, leading his highly trained militia, and overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad in a matter of days. Known then as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, and invariably pictured in uniform, he has since cast aside both his military persona and his name.
He now dresses in statesmanlike suits and calls himself Ahmed al-Sharaa. Appointed Syria’s interim president in January 2025, he formed a transitional government in March, suspended the Assad-era constitution, produced an interim one, and pledged to draft a new constitution within a few years.
The interim constitution commits the nation’s governance to unity and inclusivity, explicitly pledges to maintain freedom of opinion and expression, and establishes a People’s Committee to function as an interim parliament.
On March 10, three days before Sharaa signed it, he signed a landmark agreement with the leader of the Syrian Defense Forces (SDF), Gen. Mazloum Abdi. The SDF was in effective control of Rojava, the Kurdish-occupied area in northern Syria.
The agreement recognizes the Kurdish community as an integral part of the Syrian nation. It stipulates that the Kurdish-led SDF is to be integrated into the nation’s military forces, and that all Rojavan civil and military institutions will merge with new state institutions.
This joint decision has potentially vast implications. Syria’s new constitution, when it eventually appears, could propose a situation akin to that in Iraq, where a Kurdish-majority area has been recognized as a federal entity and accorded autonomy within the constitution.
Sharaa’s agreement with the SDF seems to substantiate his declared intention to rule over a pluralistic society. He has promised amnesty for most former regime loyalists, and assured religious minorities that he will safeguard their rights. He has also stated that the new Syria would not be used as a launchpad for attacks on neighboring countries, including Israel.
Many in government and the media inevitably remain highly skeptical about Sharaa’s intentions, believing that the leopard cannot change its spots. They look back at his history and see only a dyed-in-the-wool jihadist.
Sharaa's life across Middle East
BORN IN Riyadh in 1982 to a Syrian family from the Golan Heights, Sharaa grew up in Damascus. He went to Iraq when the US invaded in 2003, subsequently joined the al-Qaeda jihadist group in Iraq, and was imprisoned by American forces from 2006 to 2011.
When released, he returned to Syria, and in 2012 founded the al-Nusra Front. In 2016, he severed ties with al-Qaeda and rebranded his militia as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which toppled the Assad regime.
His subsequent words and actions send a largely positive, but still mixed message. Major media outlets highlight his democratic pledges, yet question whether the moderate persona he is now projecting is a pragmatic facade.
Confidence was badly shaken on March 6, when Alawite civilians in Syria’s coastal and central provinces were attacked and slaughtered by government forces. This was followed by violent encounters with Druze rebels in Damascus on May 1.
Two days of deadly sectarian violence ensued, involving the Druze minority and pro-government forces. On May 3, Israel carried out an intense wave of airstrikes in Syria, claiming it was protecting the Druze minority.
THOSE STILL mistrustful of Sharaa’s true intentions also point to the retention of Islamist clauses in the provisional constitution he has established. Yet even the most cynical would find it difficult to deny that a new spirit is abroad in Syria.
A demonstration of Syria’s changed future occurred outside the UN building in New York on April 25. Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani, watched as the two-starred red, white, and black flag of Assad’s Syria was lowered, replaced by the three-starred green, white, and black flag previously used by HTS. This is now Syria’s official emblem.
“This flag is not a mere symbol,” said al-Shibani, “but rather a proclamation of a new existence… embodying a future that emerges from resilience and a promise of change after years of pain.”
On April 25, The New Arab bore the headline: “US Congressmen claim Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa open to Israel normalization.” The story reported that Rep. Cory Mills had held a 90-minute meeting with Sharaa, who had indicated that he was willing to normalize relations with Israel.
Mills was accompanied by fellow Rep. Marlin Stutzman, who separately told The Jerusalem Post that Sharaa was interested in joining the Abraham Accords. “Sharaa said that he was open to the Abraham Accords,” said Stutzman, “which would put them in good standing with Israel, other Middle Eastern countries, and, of course, the United States.”
Both Congressmen are Republicans and have Trump’s ear. It is possible Trump will take the opportunity during his visit to the region to advance the possibility of Syria-Israeli normalization with his hosts – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
There seems to be a solid base to work on. During Sharaa’s visit to French President Emmanuel Macron on May 7, both leaders confirmed that Syria has held indirect talks with Israel through mediators, aiming to reduce tensions, particularly after recent Israeli strikes near Damascus. Macron condemned these strikes, and Sharaa expressed openness to “technical discussions” with Israel.
No doubt the Golan Heights would be included. Israel views the Golan as vital to its security, and annexed it in 1981. During Trump’s first administration, the US recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, a move that Biden’s administration did not overturn.
Any demand to reverse the situation would certainly scupper normalization discussions. Sharaa would probably adopt the pragmatic approach favored by other Abraham Accord states and put the issue on the back burner.
There is no doubt that remarks by Sharaa from the start of his governance favor conciliation toward Israel and potential openness to the principles of regional normalization and cooperation embodied in the Abraham Accords.
If Syria’s interim president eventually delivers the inclusive, unified, well-governed state that he promises, he will have proved himself the most remarkable leader to have emerged in the Arab world for generations.
The writer is the Middle East correspondent for Eurasia Review. His latest book is Trump and the Holy Land: 2016-2020. Follow him at: www.a-mid-east-journal.blogspot.com.