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.
The Israeli military said on Monday that Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, and an attack had ...
Afghanistan and Pakistan have traded heavy fire, both sides said, days after they announced a temporary pause i...
China imposed sanctions on Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya on Monday, who is a close aide of Japanese ...
Europe's aviation sector hit - and may well have surpassed - a 2% mandate for green jet fuel use in 2025, a...
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said a peacekeeper was killed when a projectile exp...
Türkiye’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ahmet Yildiz, has called for Syria to be shielded from the effects of the ongoing regional war, warning that instability could threaten the country’s recovery.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released $2m in emergency funding to support health responses in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria as escalating regional conflict strains hospitals, raises displacement and increases pressure on already fragile health systems.
In the Middle East, wars rarely remain confined to battlefields. Their most profound and enduring consequences are often measured not in military victories but in human displacement.
At least 30,000 displaced people have sought protection in shelters across Lebanon following an escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday, and added that many more were expected to join them.
Cuba and the United States have been at odds for more than six decades, with tensions rooted in the 1959 revolution that transformed the island’s political and economic system. Renewed focus on relations comes as Donald Trump’s rhetoric intensifies and conditions on the island worsen.
The four astronauts selected for NASA’s Artemis II mission have arrived in Florida, entering the final phase of preparations for the first crewed journey towards the Moon in more than five decades
Iranian Military Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Zulfiqari has warned that American soldiers will become 'food for sharks' if U.S. President Donald Trump launches ground attacks against Iran. The threat comes after the U.S. military said it was deploying thousands of Marines to the region.
NASA is aiming to launch its Artemis 2 mission on Wednesday (1 April), sending astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, officials confirmed. According to the Space Administration, the launch window is due to open at 23:24 GMT, with additional opportunities to 6 April if delays occur.
Weekend strikes hit Iran’s Natanz nuclear site and missile facilities near Isfahan, as Tehran responded with missiles and drones targeting Tel Aviv, Haifa Bay, and Gulf assets. With U.S. reinforcements deployed and Hormuz tensions rising, the region faces a sharply escalated crisis.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have traded heavy fire, both sides said, days after they announced a temporary pause in fighting, escalating tensions in the volatile region as Islamabad prepares to host talks between the U.S. and Iran.
More than 372,000 people were left without electricity in Russia’s southern region of Dagestan after heavy rain triggered severe flooding, officials said.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said his government will absorb a 56bn-rupee fuel subsidy to shield people from rising energy costs linked to the Middle East conflict.
The involvement of Yemen’s Houthis has heightened regional tensions as the Iran-aligned group joins the conflict. The U.S. says it is hopeful of holding talks with Iran in the coming days, while Tehran has said that "talking and bombing is intolerable". Welcome to our live coverage of the conflict.
AnewZ has released the official trailer for its upcoming original documentary, Halfway Across, an investigation into the systems behind illegal migration.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment