Nearly a year after Bashar al-Assad fled Damascus, Syria is struggling to chart a path forward. This week, Matt is joined by Aaron Zelin of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who has just returned from a rare trip inside the country where he met with President Ahmed al-Sharaa. They unpack Sharaa’s unlikely rise from jihadist commander to head of state, the sectarian bloodshed testing his grip on power, Israel’s relentless strikes and regional pressure, and the uneasy standoff with Kurdish forces in the northeast. From shattered infrastructure to fragile diplomacy, Aaron offers a first-hand look at a nation caught between rebuilding and relapse—and what the world should watch as Syria faces its most uncertain crossroads in decades.

Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, geopolitics, and current affairs.

More of Aaron’s work: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/aaron-y-zelin

Read Aaron’s Substack, Jihadology+: https://www.jihadologyplus.com
Read Aaron’s past work for Jihadology: https://jihadology.net

Follow Aaron on Twitter/X: https://x.com/azelin
Follow Aaron on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/azelin.bsky.social

"Sharaa Goes to the United Nations" by Aaron Zelin | Policy Watch 4108: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/sharaa-goes-united-nations

"Delisting Hayat Tahrir al-Sham: Implications for US Counterterrorism and Syria Policy" by Aaron Zelin | Policy Watch 4077: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/delisting-hayat-tahrir-al-sham-implications-us-counterterrorism-and-syria-policy

"Trump Meets Sharaa: Writing a New Chapter in US-Syria Relations" | Policy Watch 4039: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/trump-meets-sharaa-writing-new-chapter-us-syria-relations

"For the first time in nearly six decades, a Syrian president steps up to speak at the UN" by Jennifer Peltz & Bassem Mroue | AP: https://apnews.com/article/syria-united-nations-unga-c0471a2f7faece79fe15793fb0466501

"From al-Qaida to the Upper East Side: Syria’s new leader makes his debut on the world stage" by Andrew Roth | The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/24/ahmed-al-sharaa-united-nations-syria

"Syria’s President Says Border Deal With Israel Could Come 'Within Days’" by Ben Hubbard | The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/world/middleeast/syria-israel.html

"Syria risks rupturing as armed camps face off across the Euphrates" by John Davison, Orhan Qereman, Khalil Ashawi & Feras Dalatey | Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/investigations/syria-risks-rupturing-armed-camps-face-off-across-euphrates-2025-09-19/

Audio: https://pod.fo/e/332708
YouTube: https://youtu.be/KDuPo7yiUIU

Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies
Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996
Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg
For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com

Connect with us on social media
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social
Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies
Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies
Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies

Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:
https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.net

Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD.
Music by Andrew R. Bird
Photos by Richard Drew/AP & AFP

Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.