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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was filmed using his phone during his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan's address at the UN General Assembly. The footage drew attention during a session that marked his second appearance at the world body's annual debate.
Candid footage caught the Syrian President scrolling Instagram Reels at the UN General Assembly. (Reuters photo)
UPDATED: Sep 23, 2026 07:12 IST
As world leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa appeared to have his attention elsewhere — scrolling through Instagram Reels on his smartphone.
Candid footage from the UNGA showed al-Sharaa casually using his phone, scrolling through Instagram and sending Reels, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was speaking from the podium, reports Kurdistan 24.
This is the second time al-Sharaa has attended the UN General Assembly after becoming the first representative of Syria to address world leaders at the UNGA in almost 60 years in 2025.
Al-Sharaa became Syria's interim president in January 2025 after leading the rebel offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad.
On Tuesday, nearly 130 heads of state and government, including US President Donald Trump, took the podium on Tuesday as the high-level general debate of the annual UN General Assembly opened.
The debate is the key event of the UNGA's annual session, which began on September 8, when Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh took office as president.
The session opened with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who introduced his annual report and is expected to deliver his final address, followed by UNGA President Khalilur Rahman, who formally opened the debate.
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Published By:
Karishma Saurabh Kalita
Published On:
Sep 23, 2026 07:12 IST
