Ahmed al-Sharaa

"Actually, we want peace with all parties, but there is great sensitivity regarding the Israeli matter in the region, especially after the big wars that took place and that they have been occupying a Syrian region called the Golan since 1967. We entered Damascus only two months ago, and there are many priorities in front of us, so it is too early to discuss such a matter because it requires wide public opinion. It also requires a lot of procedures and laws in order to discuss it, and to be honest, we have not considered it yet."

"Today we see new attempts to impose solutions that seek to draw new geographical maps at the expense of the blood of the Palestinian people, and the calls for the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from their territory are disgrace against humanity."

"The Arab countries must unite their stances and assume their responsibilities towards the Palestinian people."

"We confirm that Syria is a state of law. The law will take its course on all. We fought to defend the oppressed, and we won't accept that any blood be shed unjustly, or goes without punishment or accountability, even among those closest to us."

"There were clear statements from some regional countries that they want to destabilize the situation in Syria. There are some parties that lost out from the new reality in Syria and are trying to reestablish themselves and they only have these cheap means. We have seen their presence in more than one state, focusing on sectarian strife, spreading captagon, and political corruption. These are three components that are present in any country they enter. But we do not yet have clear evidence on which to build conclusions or practical steps."

"I mean, a delusional person can say whatever they want. Every person can imagine that he is suffering from some danger and carry out a preemptive strike and kill. But that is not justifiable."

"We do not want to distribute positions in Syria as gifts to sects, ethnicities, and other parties - rather, we distribute positions according to competence."

"To be honest, my chest tightens in this palace. I'm astonished by how much evil against society emanated from every corner. I have a balcony that overlooks Damascus. When I look at Damascus every day, I say: how could the previous regime look at Damascus and feel comfortable with what was happening there."

"Any chaos in Syria will damage not just neighboring countries but the whole world."

"Syria has been committed from the beginning, before we reached Damascus, to preventing its land from being used in any way that can threaten any foreign country."

"I was certain that liberating Aleppo was the key to victory, we prepared and equipped the armies, and we had never fought a war like we did for Aleppo, with our trust in God and the beginning of our forces advancing toward its walls, the enemy’s fortresses began to collapsed."

"Dear Syrians, see how your name is once again mentioned at forums and how Syrians are now valued and respected, after having been pushed out the door, deprived of their rights and left to their fate of killing, displacement, and humiliation."

"The battle for reconstruction has just begun, so let us all join hands and seek God’s help to create a bright future for a glorious country and people who deserve."

"From the heart of Aleppo, I declare to the world that our war with tyrants has ended, and our battle against poverty has already begun."

"Aleppo will be the greatest economic beacon."

"The past is present in the eyes of every person, on every street, in every family. But our duty now is not to repeat it. Not even as a softer version. We must create something entirely new."

"We are not starting from zero, We are starting from the depths."

"Dignity through work. Peace through purpose."

"A stable Syria will not be built through speeches or slogans — it will be built through action: in the marketplace, in classrooms, on farms, and in workshops. We will rebuild supply chains. Syria will return as a hub for trade and commerce."

"Every young man with a job is one less soul at risk of radicalization. Every child in school is a vote for the future."

"I want to be clear, the era of endless tit-for-tat bombings must end. No nation prospers when its skies are filled with fear. The reality is, we have common enemies and we can play a major role in regional security."

"Syria’s Druze are not pawns, they are citizens deeply rooted, historically loyal, and deserving of every protection under the law. Their safety is non-negotiable."

"Peace must be earned through mutual respect, not fear. We will engage where there is honesty and a clear path to coexistence and walk away from anything less."

"We will not be a pawn. Nor will we be a fortress. We will be a state that governs with legitimacy, not just control. We want the U.S. to partner with us in governance, in anti-corruption, in building institutions based on honesty and integrity."

"This is not a fairy tale, it is a recovery. And recoveries are painful."

"I accepted it because Syria must turn the page. And I would rather help write that history with others than watch it be torn apart again. We have no option but to succeed. We must make Syria great again."

"I want to express our satisfaction with the strong will that my brother Ahmet Şara has demonstrated in the fight against terrorism. … God willing, I believe that by acting in solidarity, we will fully establish an atmosphere of peace and security, free from terrorism, in our shared geography."

"He does not want Syria to be a new Taliban. He has said, and I think he means it, that he wants good relations with all his neighbors. And that was a striking thing to say because one of his neighbors is Israel, and he doesn't want a war."

"I think that's because he knows the country now is so weak. After the civil war in Syria and then the sanctions, which really brought the Assad regime to the point of total bankruptcy and starvation for many of its people, Syria is still under American, and to some degree, European sanctions."

"He knew he had to keep in a good relationship with Turkey, which was the benefactor of everything that was going on in that part of - it was the opposition, the one opposition part of Syria that was not controlled by the Assad regime. And what he did over the years was to moderate very successfully."

"I think very good. Young, attractive guy, tough guy, you know, strong pass. very strong pass fighter. He's got a he's got a real shot at pulling it together. I spoke with President . I'm very friendly with him. he uh he feels he's got a shot at doing a good job."

"The real test will be how committed he is to govern via the democratic playbook, and not just borrow the vocabulary."

"I believe his extremist and violent past has taught him how to navigate the future. You can change. You can grow. He has learned from experience, and twenty-twenty vision gives him the clarity to shape what comes next."

"He has grown from revolution to governance, and I believe he has the ability to lead and impact the real future of this country."

"There were no portraits of him on the wall, no slogans, no flags. Just a man trying to unite a map of Syria into a country of equals. He stands tall, firm in his resolve, with the odds set against him — but determined."

"He wants to build a future for his people, for the region, and for Syria to come out of the dark and take its rightful seat at the table of the world."

"He's not even pretending that he's going to bring a democracy to Syria. He's bringing an Islamic state to Syria in which Christians and others are allowed to take part, but it seems from the point of view of the Christians and the Alawites and the Druze that they're taking part on sufferance – and that's not acceptable. Syria is a very rich country, ethnically and culturally. And all of these groups have been there for centuries and form a vital part of the fabric of the society."

"He was cheered by even larger crowds and people picked up the car he was driving and carried it on their shoulders through the streets of Damascus. And the reason that they did this is that the man who preceded him, Salah Jadid, was so hated that they welcomed any change."

"The president of Syria is working very, very hard – strong guy, tough guy, pretty rough resume. But you're not going to put a choir boy in there and, you know, get the job done. I spoke with him yesterday because we were talking about the prisons and, you know, what was going on. We have some of the worst terrorists in the world in those prisons. And he's watching it."