Video: Syrian president caught scrolling Instagram reels at UNGA session
What's the story
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was spotted scrolling through Instagram Reels on his phone during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The incident took place while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was addressing the assembly. A viral clip appeared to show al-Sharaa looking down at his phone and moving through what appears to be Instagram's short-video feed.
Political journey
Al-Sharaa's presidency and UNGA attendance
Some reports say he was sharing reels, but the footage itself does not establish who he was messaging or what he was watching.
Al-Sharaa became Syria's interim president in January 2025 after leading a successful rebel offensive against Bashar al-Assad.
This is the second time al-Sharaa has attended the UN General Assembly, having been the first Syrian representative to address world leaders at the UNGA in nearly 60 years in 2025.
Twitter Post
Video clip shows president scrolling
Whoa…
— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) September 22, 2026
Look what the Syrian president did during Erdogan’s speech at the UN 😳😳
pic.twitter.com/BJxMsWTqa7
Global event
About the UNGA session
The meeting comes amid two escalating wars in Europe and the Middle East, a volatile global economy, and a changing world order.
Nearly 130 heads of state and government are participating.
The debate is a key part of the UNGA's annual session, which started on September 8 with Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh taking office as president.
The high-level general debate will run through Saturday, September 26, and resume on Monday, September 28.