Syrian president arrives in New York for UN General Assembly, first since 1967

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in New York on Sunday to take part in the United Nations General Assembly, the first time a Syrian head of state has attended the gathering in nearly six decades. The last sitting Syrian president to address the General Assembly was in 1967, before the Assad family began its 50-year hold on power; that era ended in December when then-President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a swift insurgent offensive led by al-Sharaa. The fall of Assad also ended nearly 14 years of civil war, setting the stage for a complex diplomacy aimed at reconnecting Syria with its neighbors and with Western powers.

Since assuming power, al-Sharaa has sought to restore ties with Arab nations and the West, even as officials have been wary of his past ties to extremist groups. The Syrian leader is expected to use his appearance at the UN General Assembly to press for sanctions relief that could help rebuild the war-battered economy and desperate infrastructure, a theme that has dominated Damascus’s diplomacy in recent months. Observers note that al-Sharaa has preached coexistence and sought to reassure Syria’s minority communities as the country slowly recovers, though the security picture remains fragile. The rebel group he formerly led, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was previously designated by the United States as a terrorist organization.

Ahead of the trip, U.S. officials have cautioned that the path to broader normalization remains conditional on a host of issues, including sanctions. In May, U.S. President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia and announced a broad easing of decades-old sanctions on Syria, a move followed by the lifting or waiving of many measures. However, the most-stringent restrictions are embedded in the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, a 2019 law that remains in place and would require a new congressional vote to be permanently removed. The question for Damascus is whether a high-profile international audience can translate into tangible relief that would unlock funds and investment for the country’s shattered economy.

The visit also underscores Syria’s ongoing effort to redefine its regional security posture, particularly with Israel. Since Assad’s fall, Israel has grown wary of the successor government and has carried out operations in Syria, including airstrikes on military sites after seizing a portion of the southern buffer zone formerly patrolled by the United Nations. Negotiations have been underway for a security arrangement that al-Sharaa has said could lead to a withdrawal of Israeli forces and a return to the 1974 disengagement framework. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, suggested on Sunday that while there is some progress, the deal remains a distant target, describing it as a vision for the future.

Syria’s domestic politics also loom large during the UN visit. Officials announced on Sunday that the country’s first parliamentary elections since the fall of Assad will be held on Oct. 5. Members of the People’s Assembly will not be chosen by direct popular vote; instead, two-thirds of seats will be elected by provincial electoral bodies, while al-Sharaa will directly appoint one-third. Officials have said that conducting direct elections at this stage would be logistically challenging given the number of Syrians who have lost personal documentation or are living abroad as refugees after nearly 14 years of war. The electoral framework reflects a cautious approach designed to balance the country’s interim governance needs with the realities of its fractured population.

Amid the diplomatic push, the broader security situation remains precarious. Fighters aligned with the government have been accused of killings targeting Druze and Alawite communities during the war, underscoring the persistent sectarian tensions that have scarred the country. Those dynamics will complicate any early expectations of a smooth return to normalcy, even as Damascus seeks to present a credible face to the international community. Al-Sharaa’s appearance at the General Assembly is therefore seen as a potentially significant milestone in Syria’s reentry to global diplomacy, while the outcomes of the talks and votes in the near term will help determine how quickly relief and reconstruction can proceed.