Syria: Transformations, Variables, and the Future of the State of Uncertainty

STRATEGIECS Team

May 19, 2025

Syria is entering a major phase of security transformation following Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) rise to power in late 2024. The former security apparatuses, known for their extensive control and role in suppressing the opposition, have been dismantled. Despite talk of security reforms under the new government, there are concerns about the re-emergence of a centralized security authority that prioritizes regime protection at the expense of citizens’ rights, especially in light of weak oversight and the lack of genuine integration of all military factions inside Syria into the country’s new General Security Agency.