 Kubva pakafa Hafez Assad muna 2000, mwanakomana wake Bashar al-Assad akachinja kanoverengeka hurumende yake kuti abvise nhengo dzayo dzakawanda dzagara kwenguva refu. Sharaa, zvisinei, akaramba ari muhofisi, uye akava mumwe wevakuru vekune dzimwe nyika vakagara kwenguva refu munyika. Zvaifungidzirwa kuti Sharaa aigona kumanikidzwa kusiya basa apo, muna Gumiguru 2005, akapomerwa mhosva yekutsausa vaongorori vepasi rose mutsamba pamusoro pekuferefetwa kwekubatanidzwa kweSyria mukupondaaimbova mutungamiriri wehurumende yeLebanon Rafik Hariri. Pamwe chete neMutungamiri Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa akabvunzurudzwa muna Kubvumbi 2006 panguva yekuferefetwa kweUN nezvekufa muna Kukadzi 2005 kweaimbove Mutungamiriri weLebanese Rafik Hariri. 