• Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed Khaled Saarur as the new information minister; former minister Hamza Mustafa moves to the foreign ministry.
  • Governors of Homs, Quneitra, and Deir ez-Zor provinces were also replaced; Deir ez-Zor contains most of the country’s oil fields.
  • This is the first government reshuffle since the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad.
  • The changes come amid protests and criticism over the worsening economic situation and dissatisfaction with government performance.
  • Al-Sharaa also appointed a new secretary-general of the presidential office, after criticism over the previous appointment of his brother.