Al-Shar'ah: The Overthrow of Assad Set Iran's Regional Project Back 40 Years

Ahmad Al-Shar'ah, known as Abu Muhammad Al-Julani and leader of the militants who overthrew Bashar Assad's government, stated that the overthrow of Assad's regime "set back" Iran's regional project by "40 years." In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat published on Friday, he said that Syria under Assad had become a platform for the Islamic Republic of Iran to control Arab capitals, incite wars, and destabilize the Gulf region through drugs like Captagon. He added that the removal of Iranian-affiliated militias and Iran's influence in Syria served regional interests. According to Al-Shar'ah, this could not have been achieved through diplomacy and external pressure, but was accomplished with minimal loss of life. The leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, who conducted the interview in the Syrian presidential palace, criticized previous Arab efforts to normalize relations with the Assad regime, including its return to the Arab League. Al-Shar'ah further stated that the reconstruction of Syria is now a focal point and that the "revolution" ended with the overthrow of Assad's regime, asserting, "We will not allow it to spread to other places." He emphasized that "Syria will not be a platform for threatening or destabilizing any Arab country or the Gulf region." According to him, Syria is "tired of wars and being used for others' agendas" and will now focus on building trust and reconstructing the country as "part of the Arab world." The leader's emphasis on Syria's "Arab" identity comes as Kurdish groups express concern about their future in the country, calling for an inclusive government for all Syrian citizens regardless of language and religion. In this context, American and European officials have repeatedly stressed the need for an inclusive and non-sectarian government in Syria following the overthrow of Bashar Assad's dictatorship. Al-Shar'ah stated that relations between Lebanon and Syria should be "based on mutual respect... without interference in Lebanon's internal affairs." He claimed that he would not impose his personal views on the Syrian people regarding the drafting of a new constitution and that "legal experts" should define the relationship among citizens. The leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham also addressed the forces of the Assad regime that committed crimes against Syrian citizens, recalling their atrocities, including "arrests, enforced disappearances, killings, displacements, starving the people, chemical attacks, and torture," stating that the families of the victims have the right to sue the perpetrators of these crimes. Following the peaceful protests of Syrian citizens against Bashar Assad's regime, this regime, supported by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, brutally suppressed opponents and protesters, resulting in nearly 14 years of civil war in Syria, with hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens killed and millions more displaced. The exposure of the Assad regime's actions against children after torturing or killing their parents, the International Monetary Fund expressed readiness to assist Syria, American diplomats in Damascus meet with representatives of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the Kurdish commander: After the ceasefire with Turkey, Kurdish volunteers are leaving, France seeks to lift sanctions and begin reconstruction of Syria; the main condition: comprehensive power transfer, discovery of unidentified bodies in a drug warehouse near the "Sayyida Zainab Shrine" in the suburbs of Damascus.