ME Outlook 2025: Syria in Transition

Daniel Neep, Professorial Lecturer at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, discusses the challenges for Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. With regime change now placing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in charge, Neep outlines the domestic and foreign policy priorities of the new government led by de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. It is clear from the outset, with Al-Sharaa’s various foreign trips, that regional and international recognition is a pressing matter for his new administration. But so are territorial integrity, inclusivity, and the rebuilding of infrastructure, as Neep highlights. He also assesses the level of Islamism that we can expect from governance, following media reports on Al-Sharaa’s jihadist history, including prior connections with Al-Qaeda and Isis.