In Damascus, President Ahmed al-Sharaa has acted swiftly to seize territory that had been controlled by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, which has changed the dynamics in Syria and kept Washington informed, according to Reuters sources.
The push come after a series of top-level discussions in Damascus, Paris, and Iraq earlier this month. It was reported that nine sources close to the closed-door discussion that the United States offered no resistance to the proposed offensive by Sharaa, thus toppling the autonomous territory the SDF established in the northeast Syrian territory.
The feelings of a Kurdish political official, Hadiya Youssef, encapsulated the sentiments of Kurds: “The Paris agreement gave the green light for this war.” Most of the Kurdish leaders felt betrayed by their hopes of U.S. support when the agreement brought about a significant change.
The relocation had the dual effect of keeping his promise to bring the whole Syria under the control of his administration. It also reassigned his position as the preferable partner for the U.S. in the region, making SDF the leading U.S. ally in the region. The U.S. envoy, Tom Barrack, indicated that the U.S. was adopting the policy of cooperation and working in partnership with the Syrian government.
The Kurdish-led SDF, founded in 2015 as an answer to the rise of ISIS, eventually established an informal, semi-autonomous territory with a civil as well as military structure of its own. Efforts to integrate the SDF into Sharaa’s administration remained on the backburner through the end of 2025, providing the impetus for the offensive.
Syrian government forces entered decisively in partnership with the U.S. and by the conditional support of Turkey, in spite of their historical opposition to the SDF due to their alleged affiliation with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. The campaign spread very rapidly to the Arab-majority areas, encircling the remaining Kurdish territories in northeastern Syria.
Despite the progress, Sharaa was also faced with warnings from the U.S. government regarding civilian casualties. The U.S.-led coalition aircraft dropped warning flares on contested regions, in addition to threats from some lawmakers to reimpose sanctions if the fighting continued. On January 19, Sharaa declared a ceasefire that included Syrian Democratic Forces integration measures, which were accepted by U.S. officials.
“The greatest opportunity for Kurds is under Sharaa’s new government,” Barrack stated, emphasizing the shift in U.S. policy toward supporting the Syrian state rather than maintaining an independent Kurdish partner.
The offensive has dramatically altered northeastern Syria’s political landscape, ending the SDF’s long-standing autonomy while maintaining fragile U.S. support and balancing regional concerns from Turkey and Israel. Analysts say the situation highlights Sharaa’s strategic acumen in consolidating power while navigating complex international alliances.
