Born in Riyadh in 1982 to a Syrian family from the Golan Heights, Ahmed al-Sharaa joined al-Qaeda in Iraq after the 2003 US invasion, fought US forces, and was held at Abu Ghraib prison. Returning to Syria during its civil war, he founded al-Qaeda's local affiliate, broke formally with al-Qaeda in 2016, and rebranded his group as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), consolidating an Islamist but locally-governing statelet in Idlib. He led the HTS-spearheaded offensive that captured Damascus and toppled Assad in December 2024, was named president of Syria's transitional government on 29 January 2025, and unveiled a 23-minister transitional cabinet in March 2025 that included minority representation, while questions over his militant past and the new government's inclusiveness remained unresolved.
- Lived: 1982 CE – ?
- Nationality: syrian
- Roles: President of Syria (2025-present)
