Syria: AANES Issues Warning Regarding Outcomes of ‘Astana Meetings’

A funeral procession held for female Kurdish leaders who were killed in a strike launched by a Turkish drone on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A funeral procession held for female Kurdish leaders who were killed in a strike launched by a Turkish drone on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
20

Syria: AANES Issues Warning Regarding Outcomes of ‘Astana Meetings’

A funeral procession held for female Kurdish leaders who were killed in a strike launched by a Turkish drone on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A funeral procession held for female Kurdish leaders who were killed in a strike launched by a Turkish drone on Wednesday (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A high-ranking official within the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) has issued a cautionary statement regarding the implications arising from the recent Astana meetings.

These meetings focused on deliberating a roadmap aimed at establishing normalized relations between Türkiye and the Syrian government.

According to the official, these outcomes carry substantial risks for the de-escalation zones in Syria, as they encompass the activation of military, security, and intelligence components between Ankara and Damascus.

This comes at a time the “Syrian Democratic Council,” the political body of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), stressed the importance of active involvement by Arab countries in finding a comprehensive political solution in Syria, in line with international resolutions.

The Council emphasized the necessity for Arab openness towards the Damascus government to align with “the aspirations of the Syrian people to achieve their demands for change and democratic transition.”

The co-chair of the Department of External Relations in the AANES, Bedran Ciya Kurd, affirmed that the outcomes of the recent Astana meeting have outlined a roadmap for cooperation and coordination between Damascus and Ankara on various levels.

Ciya Kurd further noted that the outcomes “guarantee the interests of all parties involved in the process, sharing influence among them, and embarking on actions against national interests.”

“This track has entered a new and dangerous phase aimed at repairing bilateral relations between Türkiye and the Syrian regime, at the expense of the Syrian people's interests,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“It involves conducting mutual deals and working on security and intelligence issues to undermine stability in the established de-escalation zones,” explained Ciya Kurd.

Ciya Kurd’s remarks reflect the concerns of Syrian Kurds that the normalization between Ankara and Damascus may come at their expense.

The Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, accuses the Kurds of having separatist tendencies, while Türkiye accuses them of being affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization.



Trump Warns Iran It Will Face ‘Consequences’ of Further Attacks from Yemen’s Houthis

A man inspects the rubble of a house hit by a US strike on the weekend in Yemen's northern Saada province on March 17, 2025. (AFP)
A man inspects the rubble of a house hit by a US strike on the weekend in Yemen's northern Saada province on March 17, 2025. (AFP)
TT
20

Trump Warns Iran It Will Face ‘Consequences’ of Further Attacks from Yemen’s Houthis

A man inspects the rubble of a house hit by a US strike on the weekend in Yemen's northern Saada province on March 17, 2025. (AFP)
A man inspects the rubble of a house hit by a US strike on the weekend in Yemen's northern Saada province on March 17, 2025. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Monday explicitly linked the actions of Yemen's Houthi militias to their main benefactor, Iran, warning Tehran would “suffer the consequences” for further attacks by the militants.

The comments by Trump on his Truth Social website escalate his administration's new campaign of airstrikes targeting the militias, which killed at least 53 people this weekend alone and appear poised to continue. Meanwhile, Iran continues to weigh how to respond to a letter Trump sent them last week trying to jump-start negotiations over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.

Houthi supporters themselves rallied in several cities Monday after the strikes, vowing revenge against America and Israel over blocking aid to the Gaza Strip after its war on Hamas there.

“The Yemeni position is an irreversible position (regarding Gaza), so do whatever you (Americans) want, for we are men who fear no one but God," said Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a Houthi leader who spoke to the demonstration in Yemen's Houthi-held capital, Sanaa.

Describing the Houthis as “sinister mobsters and thugs,” Trump warned any attack by the militias would be met with “great force, and there is no guarantee that that force will stop there.”

“Iran has played ‘the innocent victim’ of rogue terrorists from which they’ve lost control, but they haven’t lost control,” Trump alleged in his post. “They’re dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, 'Intelligence.'”

It's unclear what sparked Trump's post. However, the head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard sought to separate the Houthis' actions from those of Tehran this weekend. The Houthis also launched drones and missiles targeting the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, though none reached the ship as it continues flight operations in the region.

Iran did not immediately comment on the post.

“Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!” Trump added.

The Houthis attacked over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, from November 2023 until January this year when a ceasefire began in Gaza.

The Houthis claimed there had been additional US airstrikes overnight, though American officials did not immediately acknowledge them.

World Food Program warehouse raided by Houthis

In Saada province, the Houthis' stronghold, the militias raided a warehouse run by the World Food Program. A member of Yemen's legitimate government first reported the Houthis had been taking supplies from the facility without the WFP's permission in the aftermath of the US airstrikes. The United Nations agency later acknowledged the Houthis' actions to The Associated Press.

“WFP regrets the de facto authorities' decision to seize some of the commodities,” it said. “These commodities were intended for the most vulnerable food-insecure families. Only WFP and its partners have the authority to distribute them and ensure they reach the intended recipients.”

Yemen, at war since the Houthis seized Sanaa back in 2014, has been on the precipice of famine for years. But the UN in February suspended its operations in Saada over security concerns following the detentions by the Houthis of dozens of UN workers and others in recent months. A day later, the WFP announced one of its staffers died while imprisoned by the Houthis.