Syrian President Ahmad al Sharaa said on Sunday that the overthrow of Bashar al Assad's regime was necessary not only for Syria but for the wider region.
In an interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera, cited by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Sharaa described Syria as "the central pivot of the region" and said he had long believed the Assad regime would collapse because of the crimes committed against the Syrian people.
"Removing the former regime was necessary not only for Syria but for the region as a whole," he said.
Beyond the battlefield
Sharaa said the opposition had prepared not only for the military campaign but also for governing and rebuilding the country after Assad's fall.
"Military action is one of the tools of our work, but it is not everything," he said.
"You also need a media narrative, public support, effective governance, and a large team trained to build institutions, develop the economy and create conditions for sustainable development."
He said unity was central to the opposition's strategy, describing it as a source of strength throughout the campaign.
Sharaa added that earlier setbacks and limited resources had provided valuable lessons, prompting him to organise efforts to overthrow the regime from within Damascus while simultaneously building institutions in opposition-held areas.
Idlib as a model
The Syrian president said he received no external support, instead focusing on developing a balanced local economy in the northwestern province of Idlib, which later became the launch point for the offensive that toppled Assad.
"I gave equal importance to war, reconstruction and the economy, even though we were operating in a besieged area under tremendous pressure," he said.
Sharaa said opposition authorities established public institutions, universities, media organisations, industrial zones and infrastructure in Idlib while improving living standards.
"We surpassed the former regime even in living standards in Idlib," he said.
He also reflected on his personal and political journey, saying his family's roots in the occupied Golan Heights shaped his identity and that he had been influenced by Arab nationalist ideas alongside Islamic thought.
Sharaa concluded the interview by describing Syria as the cradle of civilisation.
"I believe humanity began here in Syria, and when we stand before Damascus, we stand before the cradle of human civilisation," he said.
