The Ministry of Defense (Arabic: وزارة الدفاع, romanized:Wizārat al-Difāʿ) is a cabinet ministry of Syria, responsible for defense affairs and national security. Murhaf Abu Qasra, Minister of Defense holds the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces.

History

Contemporary Syria

Following the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, caretaker prime minister Mohammed al-Bashir has said the defense ministry would be restructured using former rebel factions and officers who defected from the former Ba'athist armed forces.

On 16 July 2025, the Israeli Air Force bombed the entrance and two of its facades to the defense ministry headquarters in Damascus, amid the July 2025 southern Syria clashes.

Incorporation of rebel groups

At the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference, which was held in late January 2025, the Syrian caretaker government announced the dissolution of all security agencies of the Ba'athist regime and all militias established by it. In addition, the Syrian opposition groups are expected to be dissolved and merged into the ministry. The Ministry of Defense later reported that over 70 armed factions[which?] across six regions in total agreed to participate in the new administration.

However, one leader from the Syrian National Army indicated that the dissolution of different groups will be done "gradually", while a rebel leader from Daraa Governorate confirmed that the rebel groups had been ordered to disband, but that the "implementation" needs more time until more clarity is provided on how the ministry will ultimately be structured.

As of February 2025, the ministry has formed a committee focused on restructuring and managing assets, as well as a "sub-committee" whose purpose is to determine a new "internal structure" for the armed forces.

Ministers of Defense

Arab Kingdom of Syria (1918–1920)

No.PortraitName (Birth–Death)Term of officePolitical partyGovernmentRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1Abdul Hamid Pasha Al-Qaltaqi[ar] (1875–1925)9 March 19203 May 192055 daysIndependental-Rikabi II[ar]
2Yusuf al-Azma (1883–1920)3 May 192024 July 1920 †82 daysAl-Fatatal-Atassi I[ar]
3Jamil al-Ulshi (1883–1951)25 July 192030 November 1920128 daysIndependental-Droubi[ar] al-Ulshi I[ar]

French Mandate for Syria (1920–1946)

No.PortraitName (Birth–Death)Term of officePolitical partyGovernmentRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1Shukri al-Quwatli (1891–1967)21 December 193622 March 19381 year, 91 daysNational BlocBey I[ar]
2Jamil Mardam Bey (1895–1960)22 March 193823 February 1939338 daysNational BlocBey I[ar]
3Mazhar Raslan (1886–1948)23 February 19395 April 193941 daysNational Blocal-Haffar
4Nasuhi al-Bukhari (1881–1961)5 April 19394 July 193990 daysIndependental-Bukhari[ar]
5Abd al-Ghaffar al-Atrash[ar] (1879–1942)20 September 194115 March 1942 †176 daysIndependental-Hakim I[ar]
6Hasan al-Atrash[ar] (1905–1977)18 April 194225 March 1943341 daysIndependental-Barazi[ar] al-Ulshi II[ar]
7Ata Bey al-Ayyubi (1874–1950)25 March 194319 August 1943147 daysIndependental-Ayyubi[ar]
(4)Nasuhi al-Bukhari (1881–1961)19 August 194314 October 19441 year, 56 daysIndependental-Jabiri[ar]
(2)Jamil Mardam Bey (1895–1960)14 October 194426 August 1945316 daysNational Blocal-Khoury I[ar]–II[ar]
8Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965)26 August 194530 September 194535 daysIndependental-Khoury III[ar]
9Saadallah al-Jabiri (1892–1947)30 September 194527 April 1946209 daysNational Blocal-Jabiri II[ar]

First Syrian Republic and Second Syrian Republic (1946–1958)

No.PortraitName (Birth–Death)Term of officePolitical partyGovernmentRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1Nabih al-Azma (1886–1964)27 April 194617 June 194651 daysNational Blocal-Jabiri III[ar]
2Ahmad al-Sharabati (1905–1975)17 June 194623 May 19481 year, 341 daysIndependental-Jabiri III[ar] Bey II[ar]–III[ar]
3Jamil Mardam Bey (1895–1960)23 August 194812 December 1948111 daysNational PartyBey III[ar]–IV[ar]
4Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965)12 December 194817 April 1949126 daysIndependental-Azm II[ar]
5Husni al-Za'im (1897–1949)17 April 19491 July 194975 daysIndependental-Za'im[ar]
6Abdullah Atfeh (1897–1976)1 July 194924 December 1949176 daysIndependental-Barazi[ar] al-Atassi II[ar]
7Fawzi Selu (1905–1972)24 December 194928 December 19494 daysIndependental-Qudsi I[ar]
8Akram al-Hawrani (1911–1966)28 December 19494 June 1950158 daysArab Party Movemental-Azm III[ar]
(7)Fawzi Selu (1905–1972)4 June 195013 November 19511 year, 162 daysIndependental-Qudsi II[ar]–III[ar] al-Azm IV[ar] al-Hakim II[ar]
9Zaki al-Khatib (1887–1961)13 November 195128 November 195115 daysPeople's Partyal-Hakim II[ar]
10Maarouf al-Dawalibi (1909–2004)28 November 195129 November 19511 dayPeople's Partyal-Dawalibi I[ar]
(7)Fawzi Selu (1905–1972)2 December 195119 July 19531 year, 229 daysMilitarySelu[ar]
11Raf'at Khankan (1903–1970)19 July 19531 March 1954225 daysMilitaryShishakli[ar]
(10)Maarouf al-Dawalibi (1909–2004)1 March 195419 June 1954110 daysPeople's Partyal-Asali I[ar]
12Said al-Ghazzi (1893–1967)19 June 19543 November 1954137 daysIndependental-Ghazzi I[ar]
13Rashad Barmada (1893–1967)3 November 195413 February 1955102 daysPeople's Partyal-Khoury IV[ar]
(4)Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965)13 February 195513 September 1955212 daysIndependental-Asali II[ar]
(13)Rashad Barmada (1893–1967)13 September 195514 June 1956275 daysPeople's Partyal-Ghazzi II[ar]
14Abd al-Hasib Raslan (1901–1959)14 June 195631 December 1956200 daysIndependental-Asali III[ar]
(4)Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965)31 December 195622 February 19581 year, 53 daysIndependental-Asali IV[ar]

United Arab Republic (1958–1961)

No.PortraitName (Birth–Death)Term of officePolitical partyGovernmentRef.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1Abdel Hakim Amer (1916–1967)22 February 195828 September 19613 years, 218 daysNational UnionNasser IV[ar]–V[ar]–VI[ar]

Second Syrian Republic and Ba'athist Syrian Arab Republic (1961–2024)

No.PortraitName (Birth–Death)Term of officePolitical partyGovernment
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1Maamun al-Kuzbari (1914–1998)28 September 196120 November 196153 daysIndependental-Kuzbari
2Izzat al-Nuss (1912–1976)20 November 196122 December 196132 daysIndependental-Nuss
3Rashad Barmada (1913–1988)22 December 196116 April 1962115 daysPeople'sal-Dawalibi
4General Abdul Karim Zahreddine[ar] (1917–2009)16 April 19628 March 1963326 daysIndependental-Azma al-Azm
5Field Marshal Muhammad al-Sufi (1927–2018)8 March 196311 May 196363 daysIndependental-Bitar I
6Major General Ziad al-Hariri (1929–2015)11 May 19634 August 196385 daysIndependental-Bitar I–II
7Major General Abdullah Ziyada (1915–1998)4 August 196314 May 1964284 daysIndependental-Bitar III al-Hafiz I
8Major General Mamdouh Jaber[ar] (born 1928)14 May 196423 September 19651 year, 132 daysBa'ath Partyal-Bitar IV al-Hafiz II
9Major General Hamad Ubayd[ar] (born 1928)23 September 196527 December 196595 daysBa'ath PartyZuayyin I
10Major General Muhammad Umran (1922–1972)1 January 196623 February 196653 daysBa'ath Partyal-Bitar V
11Major General Hafez al-Assad (1930–2000)23 February 196617 March 19715 years, 22 daysBa'ath PartyZuayyin II al-Atassi al-Assad
12Colonel General Mustafa Tlass (1932–2017)22 March 197212 May 200432 years, 51 daysBa'ath PartyKhleifawi I [...] al-Otari
13Lieutenant General Hasan Turkmani (1935–2012)12 May 20043 June 20095 years, 22 daysBa'ath Partyal-Otari
14Colonel General Ali Habib Mahmud (1939–2020)3 June 20098 August 20112 years, 66 daysBa'ath Partyal-Otari Safar
15Colonel General Dawoud Rajiha (1947–2012)8 August 201118 July 2012 †345 daysBa'ath PartySafar Hijab
16Colonel General Fahd Jassem al-Freij (born 1950)18 July 20121 January 20185 years, 167 daysBa'ath PartyHijab al-Halqi I–II Khamis
17Lieutenant General Ali Abdullah Ayyoub (born 1952)1 January 201828 April 20224 years, 117 daysBa'ath PartyKhamis Arnous I–II
18Lieutenant General Ali Mahmoud Abbas (born 1964)28 April 20228 December 20242 years, 224 daysBa'ath PartyArnous II al-Jalali

Transitional period (2024–present)

No.PortraitName (Birth–Death)Term of officePolitical partyGovernment
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1Major General Murhaf Abu Qasra (born 1984)21 December 2024Incumbent1 year, 120 daysHTS (until 29 January 2025)Caretaker (until 29 March 2025)
IndependentTransitional

Timeline of the ministers since 1958

Military intelligence agencies

Ba'athist Syria

Current

See also

External links