The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has launched a fierce attack on former HTS militant and current interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa following his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Riyadh, labeling him a “perfidious traitor” in its weekly publication Al-Nabaa.
The article, titled “On Trump’s Doorstep,” criticized al-Sharaa’s engagement with Trump, accusing him of betraying Islamic principles in favor of aligning with Western powers. IS claimed the Syrian president had traded “monotheism for idolatry” and “Islam for democracy,” mocking his decision to prioritize US approval over Islamic values.
Al-Sharaa, who was once known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani and led the hardline Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), met with Trump after the December 2024 overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. HTS had once been affiliated with Al-Qaeda until 2017, but under al-Sharaa’s leadership, the group has worked to moderate its image both locally and globally. Despite this, his leadership has faced significant backlash, especially over the ongoing presence of foreign jihadists in Syria.
IS’s article further accused al-Sharaa of abandoning his principles by meeting with Trump and celebrating the lifting of US sanctions on Syria, calling the meeting a “historic achievement” for the “revolutionaries.” The article also mocked the idea that sanctions relief would be beneficial, asking, “Who will lift the divine sanctions?”
The extremist group, which has had longstanding tensions with HTS, described al-Sharaa’s leadership as “subordinate and perfidious” for his cooperation with the US and his supposed abandonment of Islamic tenets. Despite their shared roots in Al-Qaeda, IS and HTS have been bitter rivals throughout the Syrian conflict.
IS continued its verbal attacks on al-Sharaa and his government, labeling them “apostates” and accusing them of working with Western powers. The group’s harsh criticism reflects ongoing divisions within Syria’s opposition factions and the broader struggle for power in the war-torn country.
