BBC speaks to Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa

Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, said his country was exhausted by war and was not a threat to its neighbors or the West.

Speaking to the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen in Damascus, Sharaa said sanctions on Syria should be lifted and his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), should be removed from the list of terrorist organizations.

Sharaa led HTS and other rebel groups in the offensive that toppled former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime less than two weeks ago.

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