After wins abroad, Syria leader must gain trust at home

BEIRUT: One year after ousting Bashar Assad, Ahmed Al-Sharaa has restored Syria’s international standing and won sanctions relief.

But analysts warn the former jihadist still needs to secure trust on the home front.

Sectarian bloodshed in the country’s Alawite and Druze minority heartlands — alongside ongoing Israeli military operations — have shaken Syria as President Sharaa tries to lead the country out of 14 years of war.

“Syria has opened a new chapter that many once thought impossible,” said Nanar Hawach, senior Syria analyst at the International Crisis Group, citing relaunched diplomatic ties and foreign investment.

But he added: “International rehabilitation means little if all Syrians don’t feel safe walking their own streets.”