The 5 Most Popular Stories on Ahmed Al-Sharaa Fact-Checked by Misbar in 2025

Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew Bashar Assad's government a year ago | Misbar

Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew Bashar Assad's government in Syria in December 2024, after years of building a powerful armed faction known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which is classified as a terrorist group internationally.

In January 2025, the rebel coalition that deposed Assad officially declared Sharaa president of Syria's interim government, established a temporary legislative council, and disbanded all armed factions, including HTS.

Since then, Misbar’s team has fact-checked several misleading claims on Al-Sharaa.

Ahmed al-Sharaa Attending Netanyahu’s Speech at UNGA

Last September, social media posts claimed that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa attended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the United Nations General Assembly alongside other Syrian delegates after many walked out.

Ahmed al-Sharaa Attending Netanyahu’s Speech at UNGA

After looking into the widely shared image, Misbar discovered that the claim was misleading. On September 22, Syria's official news agency, SANA, posted the image, which depicts President al-Sharaa sitting with Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and the Syrian delegation in the U.N. conference hall in New York during the Two-State Solution Conference.

A Graphic Photo Of Ahmed al-Sharaa With Severed Heads In Syria

A photo was alleged to show Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa clutching severed heads in Syria, with the caption "Yesterday's terrorist is tomorrow's UN leader."

Misbar's team discovered that the photograph depicts the Australian militant Mohamed Elomar. According to CNN, security was increased around Australia's well-known Muslim leader following threats on Twitter from a Sydney-based jihadist who was spotted holding chopped heads in Syria.

A Graphic Photo Of Ahmed al-Sharaa With Severed Heads In Syria

Image Of Syria's Al-Sharaa Shaking Hands With Netanyahu

Social media users shared an image purportedly showing Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Users on X claimed that al-Sharaa spoke Hebrew fluently during the meeting.

Image Of Syria's Al-Sharaa Shaking Hands With Netanyahu

Misbar's team found the original photo, which depicted al-Sharaa in the same appearance and pose, back to December 22, 2024. At the time, France 24 published the image, which indicated that it had been released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The photo depicts Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meeting with Syrian President al-Sharaa in Damascus.

Image Of Syria's Al-Sharaa Shaking Hands With Netanyahu

Outdated Video of Protests Against Al-Sharaa

Last January, a video clip widely shared by social media users who claimed that it shows a demonstration in Idlib against Syria's new interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Outdated Video of Protests Against Al-Sharaa

Misbar's team discovered that the video was posted on May 24, 2024, about seven months before al-Assad's overthrow. The Syria Campaign page shared a video on X depicting a demonstration in Idlib against Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayaat Tahrir al-Sham.

A Photo Showed Ahmed Al-Sharaa with His Wife

Following Al-Sharaa's interim presidency, social media users shared a photo with sarcastic captions purporting to show the new Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, posing with his wife, who is dressed in an Islamic niqab.

Misbar's team found that the image features Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new Syrian leader, with poet Alaa Mustafa Ali, who met him this week at the Syrian Presidential Palace along with other writers and poets.

Outdated Video of Protests Against Al-Sharaa