Senior US officials are concerned that a new Syrian military offensive against Kurdish forces could escalate into a broader campaign against the US-backed militia, threatening to destabilize Syria and further divide two key US security partners fighting ISIS, and US officials have even threatened to re-impose sanctions on Damascus if it proceeds with the attack, Thw Wall Street Journal reports, writes UNN.
Details
The Syrian Army Operations Command announced on Friday evening that it was striking forces allied with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the city of Deir Hafer, east of Aleppo. The announcement came after several days of the government building up military forces in the area. The SDF said in a statement just after midnight local time that they were withdrawing their forces from the area as a gesture of goodwill after calls from foreign states mediating the dispute.
According to two US officials, US intelligence agencies assessed that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is planning a multi-pronged operation, backed by the Turkish military, against the SDF in the eastern part of Aleppo province and potentially across the Euphrates River. Such an operation could spread fighting to northeastern Syria, where most US troops are deployed.
According to Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, US troops arrived in Deir Hafer on Friday to meet with Syrian partners after several days of deadly clashes, signaling the seriousness of the situation.
Hawkins said US forces would "temporarily assess what is happening on the ground, engage with Syrian partners, and help stabilize the situation." "Syria's peace with itself is crucial to maintaining peace and stability throughout the region," he noted.
The semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northeastern Syria remains a major obstacle to Sharaa's consolidation of control over Syria after the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, the publication writes. Meanwhile, Turkey has long planned to get rid of Kurdish militants linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, also known as the PKK, which both Turkey and the US consider a terrorist group.
Sharaa and the SDF leader signed a pact last March to integrate the SDF into the Syrian armed forces, but the agreement lacked details, and negotiations for a final agreement have stalled in recent months.
A broader conflict between the Syrian government and the Kurdish SDF would pose a serious challenge to the Trump administration and the US military, which encouraged the SDF to join the new government in Damascus after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the publication notes.
US lawmakers and military officials are particularly concerned that if fighting spreads to northeastern Syria, Syrian Kurdish fighters guarding hundreds of Islamic State prisoners in facilities across the region will abandon their posts, leading to many escapes.
According to one official, US intelligence officials are discussing the scope of the potential operation. Some officials believe Sharaa plans to limit the fighting to Aleppo province, but others believe he is considering a broader operation involving troops moving from the west to the Euphrates and south from the Turkish border, the official said. According to the official, military intelligence officials believe Sharaa has already approved a larger operation.
Other Western officials monitoring the situation have also assessed that the offensive will be limited to the area around Deir Hafer south of the Euphrates River. But, according to security analysts, any fighting could spill over into other areas along the front line.
President Trump's special envoy for Syria, Ambassador Tom Barrack, and Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, are engaging daily with both sides to prevent a larger offensive, one official said. US Vice President J.D. Vance spoke with Sharaa to urge him to resolve differences with the Kurds, according to a person familiar with the conversation.
US officials have threatened to re-impose sanctions under the Caesar Act against the Syrian government if Damascus proceeds with a larger attack
"The United States remains in close contact with all parties in Syria, working around the clock to de-escalate tensions, prevent escalation, and return to integration talks between the Syrian government and the SDF," Barrack said on social media on Friday.
Barrack worked to implement a ceasefire in a recent round of fighting between the government and the SDF in Aleppo. As a result of that battle, SDF fighters left Aleppo, leaving a small redoubt in one of Syria's largest cities.
Deir Hafer is one of the last regions south of the Euphrates controlled by Kurdish forces, who seized the territory during the chaos after Assad's fall. This week, the government released a video of a column of military equipment heading to the front.
The US has a long-standing partnership with the SDF in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). This alliance has created a geopolitical challenge for the US, as the group includes members of the PKK.
"I hope that the problems will be resolved through dialogue, but if dialogue fails, I see that the Syrian government may consider the use of force as an option to maintain unity and order," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday.
The US has hundreds of soldiers stationed in Syria as part of the fight against ISIS, with most of these forces in the northeastern part of the country controlled by the SDF. Their presence in the country is a major deterrent against a wider war with government forces.
Addition
The new Syrian government joined the US-led coalition against ISIS in November as part of a developing partnership with Washington. Trump ordered the lifting of US sanctions on Syria and welcomed Sharaa to the White House in an attempt to stabilize the country after Assad's fall.
US temporarily eases sanctions against Syria for 180 days10.11.25, 22:50 • [views_13265]