Bashar al-Assad’s Life and Presidency: 10 Key Facts About Syria’s Controversial Leader

4. Transition from Medicine to Politics

Initially uninterested in politics, Bashar’s career trajectory changed after his brother Bassel’s death. He joined the Syrian military, focusing on command and strategy. Following Hafez al-Assad’s death in 2000, Bashar became Syria’s president, supported by the Ba’ath Party and military elites.