Syria’s Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — once the most trusted ground force of the United States in the fight against ISIS — is now facing the gravest crisis of its existence. After being forced to withdraw from Aleppo, the group that controls much of Syria’s oil, gas and agricultural heartland is staring at a future where it may no longer have any place in the country’s political order.
According to sources familiar with recent developments, the SDF’s exit from Aleppo did not happen on the battlefield alone — it was shaped by diplomatic decisions made far beyond Syria’s borders.
Aleppo Withdrawal Signals a Turning Point
On Sunday, the last SDF-affiliated fighters and officials left their positions in Aleppo, boarding buses bound for eastern Syria after government forces took over Kurdish-held districts. What made this retreat especially striking was the reported role of Washington.
Sources say US Central Command instructed SDF leader Mazloum Abdi not to resist the takeover — a move that marks a dramatic departure from years of American military and political support.
For many inside the SDF, the message was unmistakable: the alliance that once defined their survival is now being quietly dismantled.
From Battlefield Ally to Diplomatic Liability
The SDF was created in 2015 with US backing as the main local force to defeat ISIS. Over the years, Kurdish and allied Arab fighters, supported by American airpower, captured large swathes of eastern Syria, including territory that produces most of the country’s energy and food.
But as the war against ISIS faded and regional diplomacy took centre stage, the SDF’s strategic value began to shrink.
With the rise of a new government in Damascus under President Ahmad Al Shara and renewed efforts to stabilise Syria, Washington has shifted its priorities. Instead of relying solely on the Kurds, the US is now treating the Syrian government as a counter-terrorism partner — and exploring regional arrangements that include Turkey and even Israel.
A Deal Bigger Than the Kurds
The SDF’s withdrawal from Aleppo came just days before a US-supervised meeting between Syrian and Israeli representatives in Paris. The talks reportedly focused on reducing hostilities and opening the door to security and economic co-operation.
In this broader geopolitical picture, Kurdish autonomy has become an obstacle rather than an asset.
“The SDF feels it has become expendable,” a Kurdish source said. “America now has bigger goals in the region.”
Eastern Syria Now Under Threat
While Aleppo was not the SDF’s most important territory, its loss has triggered alarm inside the organisation. Attention is now shifting to Deir Ezzor — an oil-rich province where the SDF still controls large areas.
Local Arab tribes, who once fought alongside the Kurds, have already begun switching their loyalties to Damascus. Observers believe similar defections across eastern Syria could rapidly unravel Kurdish control.
“The tribes will follow whoever holds power in the capital,” one source said. “That means the SDF’s grip on the east is fragile.”
Turkey and Damascus Find Common Ground
Both Turkey and Syria oppose the SDF’s ambitions.
Ankara considers the group an extension of the PKK, which it labels a terrorist organisation, and has repeatedly targeted Kurdish positions. Damascus, meanwhile, has rejected Kurdish demands for federalism and a guaranteed share of Syria’s oil revenue.
A US-brokered attempt last year to integrate the SDF into Syria’s political system collapsed after the Kurdish leadership refused to dissolve its structures — a position neither Damascus nor Turkey was willing to accept.
The Afrin Lesson Still Looms
The Kurdish leadership is haunted by the 2018 fall of Afrin, when Turkish forces seized a Kurdish enclave after Washington declined to intervene. Despite fierce resistance, the SDF was forced out — a warning of what happens without US protection.
Now, many fear the same scenario is about to unfold across eastern Syria.
A Force Built for War, Not for Peace
The SDF rose to power through war, controlling Syria’s most valuable lands with American backing. But in the new political reality emerging across the Middle East, military victories no longer guarantee a seat at the table.
As the US, Turkey and Syria reshape the region’s future, the Kurdish-led force that once stood at the heart of the anti-ISIS campaign is being pushed to the margins.
For Syria’s Kurds, the end of the war may prove more dangerous than the war itself.
