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ISLAMABAD: Syria&rsquo;s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa sat for an interview with former&nbsp;Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)&nbsp;Director David Petraeus in New York earlier this week.&nbsp;Petraeus, who led US forces during the Iraq War, had once overseen the capture and imprisonment of al-Sharaa between 2006 and 2011.&nbsp;Once a militant leader opposing the US presence, Al-Sharaa founded the al-Nusra Front in 2012 to fight President Bashar al-Assad&rsquo;s regime. Initially aligned with al-Qaeda, the group severed ties in 2016 and merged into Hay&rsquo;at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in 2017, with Al-Sharaa as leader.&nbsp;HTS was designated a terrorist group by the US in 2018, but that designation was revoked in July 2025 following Assad&rsquo;s ouster and a shift in US policy. Al-Sharaa, who led the campaign that toppled Assad in late 2024, became Syria&rsquo;s interim president in January 2025. A $10 million US bounty on him was lifted in December 2024.&nbsp;A symbolic exchangeThe interview with Petraeus took place on the sidelines of the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit, a global affairs forum held in parallel with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The forum is known for convening political leaders, business executives, and civil society organizations to promote public-private collaboration and dialogue.&nbsp;Taking the stage together, both al-Sharaa and Petraeus acknowledged the unusual nature of their conversation.&nbsp;Petraeus concluded his interview with these remarks: &ldquo;We thank you for sharing your vision today. We wish you strength and wisdom in the difficult work ahead. We obviously hope for your success, inshallah, because at the end of the day, your success is our success.&rdquo;&nbsp;Al-Sharaa at UNAl-Sharaa&#39;s appearance at the UN General Assembly marked a historic moment: he is the first Syrian head of state to attend the assembly in nearly 60 years.&nbsp;His delegation arrived in New York on Sunday, and his schedule included meetings with various international representatives, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. On Monday, he addressed events held on the sidelines of the General Assembly.&nbsp;The Concordia Summit itself is a prominent event, having hosted more than 300 speakers and thousands of participants from over 100 countries in previous years. Past attendees include UN Secretary-General Ant&oacute;nio Guterres, former US President Joe Biden, and billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, former US Army General David Howell Petraeus

Middle East

Petraeus, who interviews Syrian President al-Sharaa, once commanded US forces during the Iraq War and oversaw his capture and imprisonment from 2006 to 2011.

Al-Sharaa interviewed by former CIA director who arrested him

UNITED NATIONS: Turning the page on decades of distance, Syria&rsquo;s president addressed the UN General Assembly, marking the first time any president from his country has done so in almost 60 years.&nbsp;Ahmad al-Sharaa said on Wednesday that Syria is returning to the international community after six decades of dictatorship that killed 1 million people and tortured hundreds of thousands.&nbsp;&ldquo;Syria is reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world,&rdquo; he told the assembly&rsquo;s annual gathering of world leaders.&nbsp;Al-Sharaa became the first Syrian head of state to speak at the United Nations since Noureddine Attasi gave a speech in 1967 shortly after the Arab-Israeli war, during which Damascus lost control of the Golan Heights that Israel later annexed in 1981.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Assad family dynasty&rsquo;s autocratic, repressive 50-year rule in Syria abruptly collapsed in December, when then-President Bashar Assad was ousted in a lightning insurgent offensive led by al-Sharaa. Assad&rsquo;s fall ended nearly 14 years of civil war.&nbsp;Al-Sharaa blasted Israel in his speech, saying that it did not stop its threats to his country since the fall of President Bashar Assad in December, adding that its policies &ldquo;contradict with the international community&rsquo;s support to Syria and its people&rdquo; and endanger the region.&nbsp;Negotiations have been underway for a security deal that al-Sharaa has said he hopes will bring about a withdrawal of Israeli forces and return to a 1974 disengagement agreement. While al-Sharaa said last week that a deal could be reached in a matter of days, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in remarks Sunday, appeared to downplay the odds of a breakthrough.

Syria interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Syria’s president addressed the UN General Assembly for the first time in nearly 60 years, marking the country’s return after Assad’s ouster. Ahmad al-Sharaa condemned Israel and called for regional stability talks.

Syrian president addresses UN for first time in six decades

ISLAMABAD: Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced Monday that Syria and Israel have entered &quot;advanced stages&quot; of discussions concerning a return to the 1974 armistice line, calling it a non-negotiable first step before any broader peace agreement can be considered.&nbsp;Al-Sharaa made the statement during the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit in New York, coinciding with his official visit to the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, held from September 23 to 29.&nbsp;The Syrian leader firmly ruled out Syria joining the Abraham Accords, citing key differences between Syria and the current signatory nations. &ldquo;There is a big difference between Syria and the countries that joined the Abraham Accords,&rdquo; he stated.&nbsp;Appointed president on January 29, 2025, by the Syrian General Command during the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference, al-Sharaa was formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda in Iraq in the early 2000s.&nbsp;He presented three primary reasons for Syria&rsquo;s stance:&nbsp;<ul><li>Israel&rsquo;s continued occupation of the Golan Heights, which he described as Syrian land under international law.</li><li>The fact that Abraham Accords members do not have land occupied by Israel.</li><li>The lack of shared borders between Israel and those signatory states.</li></ul>&nbsp;Despite expressing willingness to de-escalate tensions, al-Sharaa accused Israel of repeated aggression since his administration took power, claiming nearly 1,000 airstrikes and 400 ground incursions, including two bombings of the presidential palace.&nbsp;Still, he confirmed Syria is engaged in a multi-phase negotiation process. The first phase centers on a security agreement that would see Israel return to the 1974 disengagement lines established after the Yom Kippur War.&nbsp;&ldquo;If this succeeds,&rdquo; al-Sharaa said, &ldquo;perhaps this scene will evolve to discuss other issues related to the occupied Golan and the future of the relationship.&rdquo;&nbsp;He concluded, &ldquo;Discussions are underway regarding the 1974 security or armistice agreement, and I believe we have reached advanced stages.&rdquo;

Ahmed al-Sharaa stated peace with Israel requires returning to the 1974 armistice line, rejecting the Abraham Accords and accusing Israel of ongoing aggression, while confirming advanced talks on a phased negotiation process.

Articles tagged with "Ahmed al Sharaa"

Al-Sharaa interviewed by former CIA director who arrested him

Syrian president addresses UN for first time in six decades

Israel must return to 1974 armistice line before peace talks: Syrian president