- New authorities have moved quickly to dismantle the old state structure, draft an interim constitution and form a transitional government
- Syria has seen a year of diplomatic breakthroughs, sanctions relief and global reintegration, but faces challenges such as security and reconstruction
ISTANBUL
As Syria marks one year since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the country reaches a milestone in a story that began when a handful of students scrawled anti-regime graffiti in Daraa in March 2011. That small act of defiance helped trigger events that ultimately brought down a 61-year regime and opened a transformative new era.
Now, as the first post-Assad year draws to a close, Syrians are navigating rapid political, diplomatic and security shifts that continue to redefine the nation’s future.
The following timeline traces the key developments in Syria’s post-Assad transition:
December 2024
On Dec. 8, 2024, the bloody rule of the Baath Party, which came into power in 1963, collapsed when Damascus was seized. As opposition forces closed in on the capital, Assad fled to Russia, where he was granted asylum.
Prisoners held in Sednaya Prison – long notorious for torture – were freed by protesters. Images and videos emerging from the facility, dubbed “The Slaughterhouse,” offered the first public glimpse of the brutal treatment of detainees by the deposed regime.
A UN report on Dec. 29 said primary health centers and mobile medical units had begun resuming operations.
January 2025
On Jan. 29, Syria’s military operations administration appointed Ahmad al-Sharaa as transitional president, repealed the 2012 Constitution, and dissolved the regime’s Parliament, army and security agencies.
February
On Feb. 24, the EU suspended major sanctions on Syria, easing energy, transport and financial measures and unfreezing assets on several banks and loosening limits on the central bank to support reconstruction and humanitarian work.
From Feb. 24-25, around 600 delegates attended the Syrian National Dialogue Conference to secure a stable transition, justice and various reforms. It paved the way for a new constitution and emphasized the commitment to human rights and freedom of expression.
March
On March 2, Sharaa formed a committee of legal experts to draft a constitutional declaration for the transitional period.
On March 10, the presidency announced an agreement to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – led by the terror group YPG/PKK – into state institutions while affirming the country’s territorial integrity and rejecting separatist goals.
On March 13, the Syrian president signed a draft constitutional declaration, establishing a five-year transitional period for the country.
On March 29, Sharaa announced a full transitional cabinet, which replaced caretaker authorities. It also added several new ministries, including sports and youth and emergency and disaster management, reflecting an intention to reorganize and broaden state functions beyond wartime administration.
April
From April 21-26, Syria’s finance minister and central bank governor attended the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington for the first time in more than 20 years.
On April 24, the UK formally lifted asset freezes and most sanctions on 12 Syrian entities.
May
On May 12, the World Bank announced that Syria had cleared about $15.5 million in arrears to the International Development Association, restoring eligibility for new international financing and development programs.
On May 23, the US issued a General License authorizing transactions previously restricted under American sanctions. This step toward normalization opened the doors to new investment, financial transactions and business with Syria.
On May 28, the EU formally removed all economic restrictive measures on Syria except those tied to security concerns.
On May 29, Turkish, Qatari and US companies signed an energy investment agreement worth $7 billion in Syria.
June
On June 23, the EU adopted conclusions endorsing Syria’s ongoing transition, reaffirming the bloc’s “commitment to stand with the Syrian people and to support a peaceful and inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transition to help build a better future for all Syrians.”
July
On July 13, clashes erupted in Suwayda after reciprocal kidnappings and vehicle seizures between Druze militias and Bedouin groups.
By July 14, fighting had spread across the province, leaving 37 dead and more than 50 injured. Druze factions also targeted Syrian security forces.
On July 17, Israel launched airstrikes on more than 160 sites in Suwayda, Daraa, Damascus and the Damascus countryside, killing three people and injuring 34 in the capital.
President Sharaa condemned Israel’s response and stressed that “the Druze are an integral part of this homeland.”
A cease-fire took effect on July 19.
By July 22, local monitors reported at least 426 deaths, with some estimates exceeding 1,000 and thousands displaced.
On July 24, Damascus hosted the first Syria-Saudi Investment Forum, yielding 44 deals worth $6 billion.
On July 26, Syrian and Israeli officials reportedly met in Paris with US mediation to discuss the security crisis in Suwayda and its aftermath.
On July 31, the Syrian government announced the formation of an investigative committee to examine the events.
August
On Aug. 6, Syria signed investment deals worth $14 billion with companies from Qatar, the UAE, Italy and Türkiye, covering transport, infrastructure and real estate projects.
On Aug. 12, Syrian and Jordanian officials met in Amman with a US envoy to discuss cooperation on reconstruction and stability – a sign of renewed diplomatic engagement and attempts to attract regional and global support for rebuilding.
September
On Sept. 24, Sharaa addressed the UN General Assembly, becoming the first Syrian head of state to do so since 1967.
In his address, he framed Syria as entering a new phase, emphasizing reconstruction, institution-building, transitional justice and the creation of laws guaranteeing rights and freedoms for all Syrians.
Syria’s participation in high-level meetings signaled its gradual return to international diplomacy.
October
On Oct. 5, Syria held its first parliamentary elections since the fall of the old regime.
The election was for members of the new People’s Assembly, with one-third of seats appointed by the president and the rest chosen through provincial electoral colleges.
The vote was meant to provide a new institutional foundation under the transitional government and to begin the formal process of rebuilding Syria’s legislative structures.
On Oct. 12, senior ministers and defense chiefs from Ankara and Damascus held high-level security talks.
November
On Nov. 10, US President Donald Trump hosted Sharaa at the White House – the first official visit by a Syrian head of state to Washington.
Washington then announced a 180-day suspension of major sanctions under the Caesar Act, with full repeal still subject to Congress.
During the visit, Syria formally joined the US-led coalition against ISIS (Daesh), becoming its 90th member, according to US officials.
On Nov. 15, the EU held its Day of Dialogue with Syrian Civil Society in Damascus – the first time this major civil society-oriented event was organized inside Syria rather than abroad. This marked a symbolic step toward re-engaging Syria’s civil society with international actors, and opened a new channel for structured dialogue between Syrians.
On Nov. 26, Syria assumed the presidency of the 55th session of the Council of Arab Information Ministers, an important media-policy body within the Arab League framework.
December
On Dec. 4, a delegation of the UN Security Council visited Syria for the first time since the council was set up in 1945, pledging support for the “path to a better future of new Syria.”
On Dec. 6, Canada removed Syria from its list of states that support terrorism, citing “positive steps” taken by the government “towards a peaceful Syrian-led political transition.”
