Optimism Over Syria’s New Leader, a Former Jihadist, Could Prove Misplaced

Hope must ultimately be judged by outcomes—and in Syria today, the outcomes are impossible to ignore.

Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, left, shakes hands with President Trump, at Riyadh, May 14, 2025. — Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, left, shakes hands with President Trump, at Riyadh, May 14, 2025. Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP

MICHAEL FREUND

Jan 23, 2026, 03:59 AM ET