Bashar al-Assad is a Syrian former politician, military officer and dictator who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until his government was overthrown in 2024 after 13 years of the Syrian civil war. As president, Assad was commander-in-chief of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces and secretary-general of the Central Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. He is the son of Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1970 to 2000.