Syria’s president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has survived at least three assassination attempts since taking office seven months ago, according to multiple reports. The first attempt, in March, was thwarted when Turkish forces detected suspicious movement as al-Sharaa exited the “People’s Palace.” His security detail closed in on the would-be attacker, who was later detained and interrogated. The incident was kept under wraps at the president’s request, as he sought to shape a public image of a leader without enemies.
The second attempt, described as more sophisticated, occurred during a visit to Daraa province near the Jordanian border. Al-Sharaa’s elite Syrian and Turkish bodyguards noticed two suspicious individuals and promptly altered the presidential convoy’s route at the last minute.
The third attempt nearly succeeded. A gunman reportedly lay in wait for al-Sharaa on a route he was expected to take from the presidential palace in Damascus. While full details have yet to emerge, the incident sparked rumors that the president abruptly fled the capital.
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria and Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barak, made rare public comments acknowledging the threats. Speaking cautiously, Barak confirmed multiple attempts on al-Sharaa’s life and warned of “very serious threats.” He emphasized Washington’s growing concern for the president’s safety and called for the immediate creation of a dedicated security unit to protect him. U.S. officials are reportedly relying heavily on Turkish intelligence for information and assistance.
While no group has officially claimed responsibility, all three attempts are believed to be the work of ISIS. It remains unclear how operatives managed to infiltrate Damascus and obtain explosive materials.
Meanwhile, the recent wave of violence in southern Syria, centered around the city of Sweida, appeared to subside yesterday. Isolated clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions continued sporadically, but Syrian army forces moved in to enforce a fragile calm after four days of intense bloodshed.
Smadar PerryPhoto: Yariv KatzAccording to Rami Abdulrahman, director of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 718 civilians were killed in fighting that spread from Sweida to Daraa province. Of those, 165—including women and children—were summarily executed by regime forces. Soldiers reportedly abused and then killed Druze civilians and community leaders, dumping bodies outside the city’s only hospital, whose morgue quickly overflowed.
Faced with unprecedented instability and growing scrutiny, President al-Sharaa lashed out at Israel, accusing it of destabilizing Damascus and southern Syria. Notably, he avoided mentioning the regime’s violent crackdown on the Druze population.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later revealed that Israel had issued direct warnings to senior Syrian officials. Foreign media suggest these messages may have been delivered during semi-secret talks held in Azerbaijan. A similar warning was reportedly sent to Turkey as well, despite ongoing tensions between Ankara and Jerusalem. According to Israeli sources, the message to Turkey made it clear that Israel would not remain silent in the face of continued attacks on the Druze minority.
While it's likely Ankara passed these messages to Damascus, al-Sharaa has chosen to deflect blame onto Israel, accusing it of fueling chaos and seeking to divide the Syrian people. In rhetoric that echoed Iranian propaganda, he claimed that “the Israeli entity” was trying to turn Syria into a battleground.
Al-Sharaa now faces the delicate task of proving—to Israel, but more critically to the United States and Saudi Arabia—that he has abandoned his former jihadist ideology. The situation is fraught with contradictions: though he expelled Iran from Syria (an objective shared by Israel), he also dispatched jihadist fighters, disguised as Syrian soldiers, to crush dissent in Sweida.
With no real national army and mounting pressure from abroad, al-Sharaa is entering a period of reckoning. Despite his harsh rhetoric, he may soon have no choice but to return to the negotiating table—quietly, and likely under American pressure. Syria, like Israel, has much to lose.