Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was caught on camera using his phone and apparently scrolling through Instagram Reels while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was delivering his address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Footage circulating on social media shows al-Sharaa looking down at his smartphone and moving through what appears to be Instagram’s short-video feed. Some reports also said he was sending Reels, although the footage itself does not establish what he was watching or whom he may have been messaging.
The moment quickly went viral online, drawing attention as leaders gathered for the high-level UN General Assembly debate. Al-Sharaa is attending the UN gathering for the second time since becoming Syria’s interim president in 2025.
