Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria, having assumed office in July 2000 after the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled the country for almost three decades. Upon his rise to power, he was initially seen as a reformist leader, introducing some limited economic and political changes. However, Assad's regime faced significant challenges, including widespread civil unrest and the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. The conflict arose in part...