How pressure and months of stalling finally brought about the SDF’s dissolution in Syria
The writing has been on the wall for Syria 's armed Kurds since early 2025 as the US, once their close ally, forged ties with its rivals in the Syrian government. In March 2025, Washington pressured the Syrian Democratic Forces, the mostly Kurdish militia set up in 2015, to sign an integration deal with President Ahmad Al Shara. A community that was on the political ascendancy during Syria's…
By early 2025, the United States had formed alliances with Syrian government adversaries, pressuring the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to sign an integration deal with President Ahmad Al Shara. The SDF, primarily composed of Kurdish militia, had risen to prominence during Syria's civil war but became a hindrance to major powers vying for influence in a changed Syria landscape.
SDF leader Mazloum Abdi finally announced the militia's dissolution on Tuesday, fulfilling supporters' aspirations for autonomy. Abdi admitted he only understood the political game was over when the last minute arrived as the Americans continued to signal his eventual submission to Damascus. Despite US efforts, the SDF integration deal with Al Shara was vague and did not address the core demand of federalism, which could have granted Kurds a semi-autonomous region akin to Iraq's Kurdistan.
The SDF's retreat in July following a Druze-majority governorate clash revived minority fears, prompting Abdi to believe the Americans would exploit Al Shara's missteps to undermine American tolerance for Kurdish areas under Syrian control. The SDF, formed in 2015 as a ground component against ISIS, consisted mainly of Kurdish militias.
While not all Kurds supported the SDF, it protected the Kurds during Syria's 2011-2024 civil war but faced defections and government sweeps stripping them of their territorial gains in eastern Syria. With Turkey's tacit approval and support, the SDF relinquished most of its vast territorial acquisitions, mainly in the oil, gas, commodities, and power-rich Euphrates Valley.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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