Mohammed al-Bashir: Who is Syria's new interim prime minister?

ITV News' International Editor Emma Murphy reports from Syria as the country strives for stability after years of war


The newly appointed prime minister of Syria's transitional government has said it is time for Syrians to "enjoy stability and calm" days after Bashar al-Assad's regime was toppled.

Mohammed al-Bashir announced in a televised statement on Tuesday that he will oversee Syria's transition of power until March 1, 2025.

He headed up the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), formed by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to govern territory under its control, in the province of Idlib in northwest Syria

HTS, led by Abu Mohammed al-Golani, ended the Assad family's 50-year rule over the weekend following a surprising 12-day offensive.

Abu Mohammed al-Golani speaking at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus in December 2024. Credit: AP

Al-Bashir's appointment follows a meeting he chaired in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Tuesday, where members of his new government and Assad's former cabinet discussed the handover of portfolios and institutions.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Tuesday, he said: "Today we had a meeting for the cabinet and we invited members from the old government and some directors from the administration in Idlib and its surrounding areas, in order to facilitate all the necessary works for the next two months until we have a constitutional system to be able to serve the Syrian people.

"We had other meetings to restart the institutions to be able to serve our people in Syria."

He added that it was time for Syrians "to enjoy stability and calm" after nearly 14 years of war.

So who exactly is Mohammed al-Bashir and what does his appointment spell for the future of Syria? ITV News explains.

Who is Mohammed al-Bashir?

Al-Bashir, an engineer by profession, was born in Idlib's Jabal Zawiya region in the mid-1980s.

In 2011, al-Bashir led the precision instruments department at the Syrian Gas Company before shifting to education, helping children during the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War.

Al-Bashir was appointed prime minister of SSG in January 2024, which operated like a state with ministries, local departments, judicial and security authorities, and a religious council governed by Islamic law.

Currently, it is unclear who will succeed al-Bashir when he steps down. Despite a few days of relative stability following Assad's fall, concerns remain over the country's potential future instability - with the threat from ISIS persisting and Israel continuing its bombardment of the country.

Unlike HTS leader al-Golani, al-Bashir has no past jihadist ties to groups like Al-Qaeda or ISIS.


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