Syria's new rulers have appointed a foreign minister as they seek to build international relations two weeks after Bashar al-Assad was ousted.
Syria's new rulers have appointed a foreign minister, the official Syrian news agency (SANA) said on Saturday, as they seek to build international relations two weeks after Bashar al-Assad was ousted.
The ruling General Command named Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister, SANA said. A source in the new administration told Reuters that this step "comes in response to the aspirations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that bring peace and stability".
Shibani, a 37-year-old graduate of Damascus University, previously led the political department of a rebel government in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, the General Command said.
Syria's new de facto ruler, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has actively engaged with foreign delegations since assuming power, including hosting the U.N.'s Syria envoy and senior U.S. diplomats.
Sharaa has signaled a willingness to engage diplomatically with international envoys, saying his primary focus is on reconstruction and achieving economic development. He has said he is not interested in engaging in any new conflicts.
The United States, other Western powers and many Syrians were glad to see rebel groups led by Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) topple Assad, but it is not clear whether the Islamist group will impose strict Islamic rule or show flexibility and move towards democracy. HTS was part of al Qaeda until Sharaa broke ties with it in 2016.
Syrian rebels seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war and ending his family's decades-long rule.
Forces under the command of Sharaa - better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani - installed a three-month caretaker government that had been ruling a rebel enclave in Idlib.
Washington designated Sharaa a terrorist in 2013, saying al Qaeda in Iraq had tasked him with overthrowing Assad's rule and establishing Islamic sharia law in Syria. U.S. officials said on Friday that Washington would remove a $10 million bounty on his head.
Afghanistan is entering winter with a high risk of continued dryness and unusually warm conditions, with mountain snowpack at its lowest level in at l...
Iran has denounced the U.S. detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, describing the operation as an ‘abduction’ and calling for his imme...
The speaker of Georgia’s parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has questioned the European Union’s ability to act as a global geopolitical power, saying...
In late December 2025, protests erupted across Iran after the rial collapsed and inflation soared. Unrest spread from Tehran’s Grand Bazaar as citiz...
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has criticised the European Union (EU) for its inability to achieve deeper unity, describing the bloc’s shortco...
Syria on Monday denied reports of a security incident targeting President Ahmad al-Sharaa and senior officials.
Uzbekistan is positioning itself to export goods worth up to $650 million to Iraq and Syria in 2026, while strengthening transport corridors through the Caucasus region, including enhanced ties with Azerbaijan and wider transit opportunities.
U.S.-brokered talks between Syria and Israel have resumed after being paused for several months, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported on Monday. Damascus is pressing for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from territory taken after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
Türkiye will never tolerate coercion, piracy, or banditry in its maritime “blue homeland,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday.
Israeli media report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chaired a lengthy security meeting that reportedly focused on the country’s regional threats, including Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon comments suggesting the United States should take over Greenland, calling the idea baseless and unacceptable.
Germany’s foreign intelligence service secretly monitored the telephone communications of former U.S. President Barack Obama for several years, including calls made aboard Air Force One, according to an investigation by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Flights across Greece were halted for hours on Sunday after a collapse of radio frequencies crippled air traffic communication, stranding thousands of travellers during one of the busiest holiday weekends.
At the end of last year, U.S. President Donald Trump was reported to have raised the Azerbaijan–Armenia peace agenda during a conversation with Israel’s prime minister, warning that if peace were not achieved, Washington could raise tariffs on both countries by 100 percent.
Iran has denounced the U.S. detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, describing the operation as an ‘abduction’ and calling for his immediate release.
The speaker of Georgia’s parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has questioned the European Union’s ability to act as a global geopolitical power, saying it no longer functions as a guarantor of international order.
In late December 2025, protests erupted across Iran after the rial collapsed and inflation soared. Unrest spread from Tehran’s Grand Bazaar as citizens expressed frustration over rising prices, economic hardship, and long‑standing grievances with government policies.
Israeli air strikes in Gaza and Lebanon have raised fresh concerns about the durability of ceasefire agreements, after deadly attacks were reported in both territories.
At least 29 people have been killed and more than 1,200 arrested during a fresh wave of unrest in Iran, a U.S.-based rights organisation says.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment