A senior adviser to the Syrian presidency warned Thursday that options with the Kurdish‑led Syrian Democratic Forces are narrowing as tensions rise following clashes in Aleppo and delays in carrying out a March agreement meant to integrate the group into a restructured Syrian state.
Ahmed Mouaffaq Zidan, media adviser to interim President Ahmed al‑Sharaa, said on X that the SDF must take responsibility for failing to uphold commitments it signed on March 10 in the presence of international actors, including Türkiye and the United States.
“The options with the SDF have narrowed, and it must take responsibility for not fulfilling what it signed,” Zidan said, referring to the agreement aimed at integration, de‑escalation and restoring Syria’s territorial unity. He said the deal was concluded under international guarantees and reflected a broader Syrian consensus on the country’s transitional path.
The comments follow a flare‑up in Aleppo earlier this week, where exchanges of fire and shelling were reported in and around the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. The violence caused civilian casualties, injuries among security personnel and temporary displacement of families.
Syrian authorities accused SDF‑linked forces of targeting residential areas and joint security positions. The SDF, in turn, blamed factions aligned with Damascus for sparking the confrontation.
Officials in Damascus have repeatedly tied such incidents to delays in implementing the March agreement, which laid out a framework for dialogue between the government and the SDF, including military and administrative integration, protection of Syria’s territorial integrity and governance arrangements in the northeast. The deal was widely viewed as a key step toward reducing fragmentation after years of parallel authorities.
Syrian officials say the SDF has stalled on integration and maintained separate command structures. The SDF has cited security concerns and the need for stronger guarantees. Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al‑Shibani has previously warned that prolonged delays would “harm the region and its people,” stressing that stability in the northeast is inseparable from national and regional stability.
