Who is Syrian rebel leader Abu Mohammed al Jolani and what are his links to al Qaeda?
Rebel leader Abu Mohammed al Jolani, whose group was central to the lightning offensive that toppled decades of dictatorship in Syria this weekend, has spent years trying to distance himself from his former ties to al Qaeda.
Labelled a terrorist by the US, which still has a $10m (£7.8m) bounty on his head, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) says he has renounced his past as a hardline jihadi extremist and now embraces pluralism and tolerance.
Now poised to play a major role in the future governance of Syria – a diverse country with a variety of religious minorities – al Jolani’s apparent transformation will be put to the test.
Follow live: Assad flees to Moscow amid celebrations in Syria
Early years and pivot to jihad
Al Jolani’s real name is Ahmad al Sharaa – it’s what he was known by before he adopted jihad and it is how he has begun referring to himself again, using it as he spoke in Damascus on Sunday.
Now 42, al Jolani was born in 1982 in Syria to a middle class family displaced from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
His political views were reportedly shaped by the 2000 Palestinian Intifada and the 2001 September 11 attacks.
When the US invaded Iraq in 2003, al Jolani was one of many Syrians who crossed into Iraq to fight US forces, there establishing ties with al Qaeda.
He was detained by the US military in Iraq and spent time in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison.
In the early 2000s, the extremist Islamic State of Iraq – led by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi – grew out of the remnants of al Qaeda.
Wanted poster issued by the US State Department for al Jolani
Syria uprising
In 2011, a popular uprising in Syria sparked a brutal crackdown by regime forces – a conflict that deteriorated into more than a decade of civil war.
Al Jolani was directed by al Baghdadi to establish a branch of al Qaeda called the Nusra Front. The new group was labelled a terrorist organisation by the US – a designation that remains in place.
His influence grew and he defied orders from al Baghdadi to dissolve his group and merge it with what had become the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
In his first interview in 2014, he kept his face covered and told a reporter that his goal was to see Syria governed under Islamic law and made clear that there was no room for the country’s Alawite, Shiite, Druze and Christian minorities.
In 2016 he revealed his face to the public for the first time and announced two things: his group was renaming itself Jabhat Fateh al-Sham – the Syria Conquest Front – and it was cutting its ties with al Qaeda.
He was able to assert control over fragmented militant groups and consolidated power in Idlib. He again rebranded his group, calling it Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – Organisation for Liberating Syria – as it has been known since.
Al Jolani in 2016 discussing battlefield details with commanders in Aleppo. Pic: AP
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A genuine transformation or an image change?
Few could have predicted what happened next. Secure in his position, al Jolani sought to transform his image. He swapped his military garb for a shirt and trousers.
What’s more, he appeared to renounce some tenets of hardline Islamic law and began calling for religious tolerance and pluralism.
“We don’t want the society to become hypocritical so that they pray when they see us and don’t once we leave,” he said, pointing to the example of Saudi Arabia, where social controls have been relaxed to a degree in recent years.
He gave his first interview to an American journalist in 2021, wearing a blazer and with his short hair gelled back. He argued that his group posed no threat to the West and said sanctions against it were unjust.
“Yes, we have criticised Western policies,” he said. “But to wage a war against the United States or Europe from Syria, that’s not true. We didn’t say we wanted to fight.”
He added that his involvement with al Qaeda had ended, and that even in the past his group was “against carrying out operations outside of Syria”.
Abu Mohammed al Jolani speaks at the Umayyad Mosque. Pic: AP
What happens now?
After decades of ruling Syria, the Assad regime has fallen, in large part because of al Jolani’s fighters.
Following his entering Damascus on Sunday as part of the victorious rebel column, he spoke in the city’s landmark Umayyad Mosque and declared the regime’s defeat as “a victory for the Islamic nation”.
Another senior rebel commander, Anas Salkhadi, said on state TV: “Our message to all the sects of Syria, is that we tell them that Syria is for everyone.”
Dr Burcu Ozcelik, a Middle East expert from the RUSI thinktank, said that al Jolani “sees himself as an inevitable and necessary part of any political settlement”.
“Al Jolani clearly has plans to be a leading actor in Syria, and the moderated, pro-democracy script that he has been drawing upon is testament to his commitment to demonstrate that he can change his stripes.
“The real test will be how committed he is to govern via the democratic playbook, and not just borrow the vocabulary.”
Leaders in capitals around the world are monitoring the events in Syria closely, looking for signs of what sort of government will emerge and what its priorities both domestically and in the volatile region will be.
Whether al Jolani’s claimed rejection of his jihadi past in favour of an apparent policy of pluralism and tolerance is genuine or not will be one of the key questions that observers will be seeking answers to.
The UK government has said it could remove HTS from its list of banned terror organisations and will make a decision “quickly”.
World
Israel had ‘no choice’ but to attack Iran because it was ‘rushing’ to nuclear bomb, president Isaac Herzog claims
Israel had “no other choice” but to attack Iran because it was proceeding “dramatically” towards a nuclear bomb, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has claimed.
Speaking to Sky News’ Yalda Hakim, he said Iran was “rushing” to the bomb “under disguise”.
He also suggested the Israeli war cabinet was discussing Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, amid reports that President Donald Trump vetoed a plan to kill him.
It comes as Israel and Iran continue to fire missiles at each other after Israel launched an unprecedented strike on Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities.
Tehran has long denied that its nuclear program has been attempting to obtain a nuclear weapon.
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Sky’s Yalda Hakim interrupted by air raid sirens
Mr Herzog was asked why Israel attacked Iran when it did.
“When you take such decisions of historic magnitude and proportions, you have to analyse all facets and all facts,” he replied.
“The truth of the matter is there was no other choice.”
Isaac Herzog speaks to Yalda Hakim
He claimed Iran was proceeding “dramatically” towards the bomb, both in terms of the enrichment of uranium and, “clandestinely”, the armament part of the process.
“I’ve always been very crystal clear with regards to a nuclear capability of our enemies – it has to be removed at once.”
Mr Herzog added: “We have to remove the Iranian nuclear program because we see the negotiating process as being futile because they are lying whilst talking to us.
“They are lying whilst talking to the United States and other allies.”
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Iran ambassador: ‘This is about self-defence’
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Iran’s ambassador to UK speaks to Sky News
UK advises against all travel to Israel
He was questioned whether the strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure could provoke a response that causes a mass casualty event in Israel.
“(We are) very much aware of the risks of this war,” he replied. “Every night there are missile attacks, heavy missile attacks on Israel.
“We have our air defence systems, which are excellent.
“Unfortunately, we have casualties. Brothers and sisters of ours from toddlers all the way up to the age of 94.”
He continued: “No, we don’t accept it at all… That’s why we are fighting also, to eliminate their capability of firing at us.”
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
He also suggested the Israeli war cabinet was discussing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after reports Mr Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill him.
“Let’s just remember that the Supreme Leader of Iran has for years called for the annihilation of Israel.”
Iran’s response to Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities is “self-defence” and a “matter of principle”, the Iranian ambassador to the UK has told Sky News.
Speaking exclusively to The World With Yalda Hakim, Seyed Ali Mousavi said the “barbaric Israeli regime” is “violating international law” – describing Israel’s actions in recent days as “an act of aggression against the Iranian people”.
The conflict between Israel and Iran – once played out in a series of proxy wars – has escalated in the past three days.
Follow Israel-Iran conflict live
Sky’s Yalda Hakim spoke to Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi
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Israel-Iran: How the conflict escalated
On Friday morning, explosions hit Tehran as Israel carried out a major attack on its top army leaders, nuclear sites, and nuclear scientists.
Iran threatened “severe punishment” and quickly retaliated with a wave of missiles.
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Missile aftermath in Israel
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Israeli missile hits warehouse in Iranian city
When questioned about whether Iran could continue fighting Israel, the Iranian ambassador told Yalda Hakim that “it is a matter of principle”.
He said: “This is about self-defence, there is no doubt about it.
“We are a responsible member state of the UN and we do all activities according to our international obligations.
“Any activities are only in the framework of self-defence.”
Damage from an Iranian missile attack to a building in Bat Yam, Israel. Pic: Reuters
Explosions over Jerusalem on Sunday
He added that his country would “do our best to preserve our territorial integrity”, and that “with the help of God”, Iran will “materialise endeavours concretely against our enemy – the Israeli regime”.
Mr Mousavi also told Hakim that Iran’s nuclear activities are “monitored”, and that recent comments by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were “politically motivated”.
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UK advises against all travel to Israel
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Missiles have also been seen over Tel Aviv
The UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors found Iran was not complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years.
Iran said it has “always adhered” to the safeguarding obligations laid down by the watchdog.
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Iranian ambassador reacts to strikes – full interview
Announcing Operation Rising Lion on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran had recently taken steps to weaponise enriched uranium, which could be used to make nuclear weapons.
But Mr Mousavi stressed that Iran’s “peaceful activities” at its “nuclear fields” were only for the “generation of electricity, and other peaceful” things.
Iran was due to continue its round of negotiations with the US in Muscat – however, this was cancelled, given recent tensions.
The government is warning people not to travel to Israel under any circumstances, as the country’s missile exchange with Iran shows no sign of abating.
On Friday, the Foreign Office warned against “all but essential travel” to most of Israel.
The areas around Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights were already classed as red zones, with warnings to avoid travel to these areas.
But the government has now updated the warning for the remainder of the country to red.
Follow live: Tehran and Israel exchange strikes
This puts Israel on the same level as Iran, and the change of advice is also likely to impact travel insurance.
However, with Israel’s airspace closed, it is unlikely many people will be attempting the journey, and Israel’s national airline El Al has announced it is cancelling flights to and from many European cities, as well as Tokyo and Moscow, until 23 June.
The change in travel advice comes after a second night of ballistic missile barrages from Iran following Israel’s attack in the early hours of Friday morning.
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An eight-storey residential building in Tel Aviv was hit by a missile last night.
On Sunday morning, Israel’s health ministry said 12 people had been killed over the past day, taking the total since Friday to 15. It also said 385 people had arrived at hospital with injuries overnight.
Iran has not provided a total number of deaths or overall casualties, but has claimed dozens have been killed.
Iran’s health minister has said most of those injured and killed in Israeli strikes were civilians. According to comments carried by news agency IRNA, he said the majority were women and children.
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The chancellor said UK forces could “potentially” be used to help defend Israel.
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UK military could ‘potentially’ be used to defend Israel
Nuclear threat wasn’t the only reason Israel attacked Iran
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What is the UK doing?
The UK government is sending military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East.
While the prime minister would not confirm to reporters that UK forces could be used to defend Israel from future Iranian attacks, the chancellor told Sky News earlier that the government is “not ruling anything out”.
Speaking to Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Rachel Reeves said sending military assets to the Middle East “does not mean that we are at war”, and emphasised that “we have not been involved in these strikes or this conflict”.
“But we do have important assets in the region,” she continued. “And it is right that we send jets to protect them. And that’s what we’ve done. It’s a precautionary move, and at the same time, we are urging de-escalation.”
Pushed on the question of what the UK would do if Israel asked for support with its operations, the chancellor replied: “I’m not going to rule anything out at this stage. It’s a fast-moving situation, a very volatile situation. But we don’t want to see escalation.”
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