Damascus – The swift takeover of areas previously controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) by the Syrian government was not a sudden military action, but the culmination of a political and security process shaped by a series of discreet meetings held in Damascus, Paris, and Iraq earlier this month. According to sources, the United States did not raise any objections to the developments.
These meetings, according to multiple sources, paved the way for Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara to achieve two strategic objectives: fulfilling his pledge to reunify Syrian territories under a single central authority and maintaining US support under the Trump administration. This development effectively undermines the autonomous rule project that Kurdish forces had been pursuing in northeastern Syria, marking a significant shift in the balance of power in the country.
The United States had relied on the SDF as its primary ground force in northeastern Syria during the fight against ISIS since 2015. As the threat from ISIS diminished, these areas evolved into a semi-independent entity with civilian and military administrations separate from Damascus. However, the fall of the former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024 and the rise of Ahmed al-Shara to the presidency prompted Washington to reassess its strategy. Sources suggest that the US viewed the new Syrian government as a more viable partner for unifying the country and maintaining security.
President al-Shara pledged in late 2024 to unify Syria and assert control over all its territories, including those held by the SDF. Over months of negotiations during 2025, the SDF was given a year to integrate into state institutions. However, these efforts failed to yield any significant progress.
US Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Brack, stated that the United States is now able to partner with the Syrian state, emphasizing that Washington has no interest in maintaining a separate role for the Syrian Democratic Forces.
DZWatch will continue to provide updates on this developing situation.
