LONDON: The leader of Syria’s militants currently sweeping across the country has reiterated his group’s determination to overthrow President Bashar Assad, as the opposition groups continue to gain ground in the country’s protracted civil war.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with CNN at an undisclosed location inside Syria, Abu Mohammad Al-Jolani outlined his vision for a post-Assad Syria, emphasizing the creation of a government based on institutions and a “council chosen by the people.”
Al-Jolani is the leader of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, a group that emerged from a former Al-Qaeda affiliate.
Speaking to CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh, he said: “When we talk about objectives, the goal of the revolution remains the overthrow of this regime. It is our right to use all available means to achieve that goal.”
Al-Jolani claimed that the Assad regime’s fall would be inevitable, despite years of support from allies like Iran and Russia.
“The seeds of the regime’s defeat have always been within it. The Iranians attempted to revive the regime, buying it time, and later the Russians also tried to prop it up. But the truth remains: This regime is dead,” he said.
As HTS continues to expand its territorial control in Syria, Al-Jolani sought to reassure minorities who have faced persecution during Syria’s decade-long conflict.
“People who fear Islamic governance either have seen incorrect implementations of it or do not understand it properly,” he said.
He promised that minorities such as Christians could live safely under a new coalition’s rule, adding: “No one has the right to erase another group. These sects have coexisted in this region for hundreds of years, and no one has the right to eliminate them.”
Human rights groups have criticized HTS for its treatment of political dissidents in areas such as Idlib, citing allegations of torture and harsh crackdowns on protests, but Al-Jolani denied any systemic abuse and said that if such incidents happened, it was “not done under our orders or directions” and that HTS had held those responsible accountable.
Al-Jolani also addressed HTS’ enduring terror designation by countries and organizations in the West, including the US, the EU and the UN, describing it as “primarily political and, at the same time, inaccurate.”
He claimed his group had severed ties with extremist Islamist factions, rejecting their brutal tactics. “I was never personally involved in attacks on civilians,” he told CNN.
The Assad government, bolstered by Iranian-backed militias, Hezbollah, and Russian air support, has maintained a tight grip on Syria since the uprising began in 2011.
Al-Jolani, however, said he sees the withdrawal of foreign forces as key to Syria’s future stability.
“I think that once this regime falls, the issue will be resolved, and there will no longer be a need for any foreign forces to remain in Syria,” he said.
Reflecting on the Assad family’s over five decades in power, Al-Jolani called for a complete overhaul of governance in Syria.
“Syria deserves a governing system that is institutional, not one where a single ruler makes arbitrary decisions,” he said.
Al-Jolani envisions a broader national project that goes beyond HTS itself.
“We are talking about a larger project — we are talking about building Syria. Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham is merely one part of this dialogue, and it may dissolve at any time. It is not an end in itself but a means to perform a task: confronting this regime.”
