Syrian government advances into Kurdish-held northeast after deal with S.D.F.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government pushed into Kurdish-held areas of the northeast last week and reached a deal with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, a pact the S.D.F. and some observers described as tantamount to a surrender. Negotiations between Mr. al-Sharaa and Kurdish leaders had stalled for months; the Kurds had held leverage through U.S.

backing and control of the country’s gas and oil fields. Under the new agreement, the S.D.F. appears to have lost many earlier concessions — fighters who had sought to join the Syrian military in distinct battalions will now join as individuals, and the government has seized the oil and gas infrastructure.

The United States helped broker a cease-fire but did not provide the military support the Kurds had hoped for, and Kurdish leaders accused government forces of violating the truce. In November, the Trump administration hosted Mr. al-Sharaa and waived previously punitive sanctions; on the ground, Mr.

al-Sharaa issued a decree recognizing Kurdish as a national language and made Nowruz an official holiday as an overture to Kurds. The agreement’s durability is unclear. Kurdish representatives said talks over implementing the deal had broken down, with one S.D.F. political representative saying “the situation has now deteriorated to an alarming degree,” and analysts warned the S.D.F.’s near-total capitulation could spur splintering and governance problems.

Key Topics

World, Ahmed Al-sharaa, Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, Raqqa, Oil Fields