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SDF Commander: No Withdrawal of US Forces from Syria

US armored vehicles are seen in Qamishli, Syria on Thursday. (Reuters)
US armored vehicles are seen in Qamishli, Syria on Thursday. (Reuters)
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SDF Commander: No Withdrawal of US Forces from Syria

US armored vehicles are seen in Qamishli, Syria on Thursday. (Reuters)
US armored vehicles are seen in Qamishli, Syria on Thursday. (Reuters)

The US provided guarantees to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that Türkiye would not use the F-16 aircraft, which Washington had agreed to sell to Ankara, against its forces, revealed SDF commander Mazloum Abdi.

Abdi held a press conference at the office of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) in Washington with US and Arab media. It was his first meeting with the press since the outbreak of the war in Gaza on Oct. 7.

Abdi explained that the pace of Turkish attacks and targets had increased recently to include infrastructure and basic facilities in northeastern Syria, not just SDF combat centers and positions.

He added that these attacks cost the SDF half of their annual budget.

Assurances

In response to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat, Abdi confirmed that he had received firm assurances from officials in Washington that the withdrawal of US forces from Syria was not on the table.

He also denied that he had received advice from Washington to open communication channels with the Syrian regime to ensure protection for his forces if US troops are withdrawn.

Moreover, he deemed the regime’s failure to condemn the Turkish attack as a demonstration “of the relationship we have with the regime.” He stressed that there are no communications with Damascus and “no one has advised us to contact it.”

Iraq and Syria

Baghdad and Washington recently kicked off talks on the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq. Abdi said there were no fears that the discussions would impact US forces deployed in Syria.

The US is the one who ultimately decides the nature and future of its presence in Iraq, he added, noting that the nature of the deployment of the international forces in Syria was different than that of the Americans in Iraq.

He warned that the withdrawal of US forces from Syria would lead to chaos in the region, especially since ISIS terrorists are still active in the area.

He also added that the SDF was coming under pressure, which was affecting its ability to guard prisons holding ISIS detainees, not ruling out the possibility of future jailbreaks as had happened in the past.

Response to Iranian militias

Abdi acknowledged that the war on Gaza has created challenges to the SDF in its fight against ISIS.

He warned that Türkiye, Iran and the Damascus regime were exploiting the unrest.

In addition, he said that along with attacks from Türkiye, the SDF now has to contend with attacks by Iranian militias. These militias don’t differentiate between the SDF and coalition forces, he remarked, revealing that his forces were weighing their response to them.

Media leaks

The press conference was attended by former US Congressman and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, head of the SDC office in Washington Sinam Mohammad, and SDC communications officer Bassam Saqr.

Royce revealed that the media leaks about the withdrawal of the forces from Syria came from the extreme right-wing members of Congress.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that hard-right Republican Matthew Gates had been vocal about the withdrawal and his comments were widely circulated in the media.

Royce assured that an overwhelming majority in the Senate was against the pullout.

The Biden administration is not thinking about this, especially in this election year, asserted Royce, adding that it would not take such a step amid the escalation from Iran and its militias in the region.

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Arab World

Is Burhan Heading for a Showdown with Sudan’s Islamists?

A circulating image shows Yasser al-Atta with the commander of the Islamist al-Baraa bin Malik militia fighting alongside the army
A circulating image shows Yasser al-Atta with the commander of the Islamist al-Baraa bin Malik militia fighting alongside the army
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Is Burhan Heading for a Showdown with Sudan’s Islamists?

A circulating image shows Yasser al-Atta with the commander of the Islamist al-Baraa bin Malik militia fighting alongside the army
A circulating image shows Yasser al-Atta with the commander of the Islamist al-Baraa bin Malik militia fighting alongside the army

The designation of Sudan’s Islamists as a terrorist entity places the country’s military leadership before difficult and narrowing choices, particularly as these currents are deeply embedded within the ruling system and wield growing influence in decision-making circles, including inside the military itself.

That reality makes any potential confrontation highly risky at a time when Sudan is already facing a fragile and volatile situation on all fronts.

The development raises key questions about what comes next: Could army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan move to curb the Islamists’ influence or remove them from the military? And how might they respond if targeted and the confrontation escalates?

The United States announced last Monday that it had designated the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan a terrorist organization, accusing it of receiving support from Iran. To avoid confusion over the name, the US State Department specified the “Sudanese Islamic Movement” and included its military wing, the al-Baraa bin Malik Corps, citing links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Since the fall of ousted president Omar al-Bashir after the 2019 popular uprising, Islamists and their dissolved National Congress Party have split into several civilian and military factions. When war erupted in April 2023, they regrouped in new military formations to fight alongside the Sudanese army against the Rapid Support Forces.

Ali Karti, Secretary General of the Sudanese Islamic Movement and a former foreign minister, is accused of acting as the real driver behind the army through Islamist elements within its ranks in a bid to return to power. The army and Burhan have repeatedly denied those accusations.

Some Islamist leaders say the movement has regained influence inside the institutions of the “deep state” and that confronting it would require extensive intelligence and security efforts. They also acknowledge that Islamists have become a heavy burden on the army, while Burhan appears hesitant to take a decisive stance against them.

Sources familiar with the matter say the administration of US President Donald Trump had earlier decided to designate the group but delayed announcing the move to allow time for efforts to secure a ceasefire between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

Rising regional tensions, particularly the US-Israel confrontation with Iran, and statements by Islamist leaders fighting alongside the army declaring support for Tehran, accelerated the decision.

Those statements reportedly embarrassed Burhan before regional allies, prompting him to deny any official ties between the army and the groups and to vow to be held accountable.

Sources say the designation explicitly linked “Islamist battalions” in Sudan to training and military support from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, potentially making them a target of US policies as the regional conflict widens.

At the same time, activists circulated an old video of Sovereignty Council member and assistant commander-in-chief Yasser al-Atta speaking about six Islamist battalions fighting within the army’s ranks.

Possible scenarios

Circles close to the Islamists expect the movement to “bend with the storm,” avoiding public positions that could trigger direct confrontation with the military authorities, particularly as any battlefield setback could allow the Rapid Support Forces to advance.

Despite that caution, those circles say Islamists remain influential, holding sway within security agencies, intelligence services and military intelligence. Their reach also extends into state institutions, including the judiciary and the public prosecution, making their removal costly and complex.

Opponents of the Islamic Movement say the army may struggle to implement the requirements of the US designation - such as freezing accounts or restricting the movement of leaders - because of the movement’s ideological penetration within the officer corps. That infiltration dates back to the 1970s and persisted for three decades under Bashir’s former “Salvation” government.

In this view, the army could try to navigate the sanctions through political maneuvering and continued cooperation with Islamists to soften their impact. But such an approach may test the international community's patience.

Babiker Faisal, head of the executive office of the Federal Gathering, says the army faces three main choices: deny the presence of Islamists within its institutions, a line Burhan has consistently taken; maneuver between the international community and the Islamists by reassuring both sides; or take a decisive step to exclude them and confront them directly.

Faisal believes Burhan is likely to pursue the maneuvering option, pointing to the Sudanese Foreign Ministry’s silence over the designation while calling instead for the Rapid Support Forces to be labeled a terrorist organization.

But he warns the approach may only buy time. The most significant aspect of the designation, he says, is its direct military link between the Islamic Movement and Iran — an issue that has become a top priority for the US administration.

A direct confrontation, he argues, would be extremely difficult given the Islamists’ grip on key state institutions and security bodies. That could push them to fight to the end in what they would see as an existential battle, especially after the decline of Brotherhood-linked movements in several regional countries.

Civilian forces opposed to the war say all possibilities remain open, including the direct targeting of Islamists, depending on regional developments or giving the army time to distance itself from them gradually.

They argue that excluding the Islamic Movement from any future political process is the shortest path to ending the war and restoring stability in Sudan.

Arab World

Israel Isolates South Lebanon with Strikes on Civilian Infrastructure

Fire engulfs a building hit by an Israeli strike in Abbasiyeh after an evacuation warning (AFP)
Fire engulfs a building hit by an Israeli strike in Abbasiyeh after an evacuation warning (AFP)
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Israel Isolates South Lebanon with Strikes on Civilian Infrastructure

Fire engulfs a building hit by an Israeli strike in Abbasiyeh after an evacuation warning (AFP)
Fire engulfs a building hit by an Israeli strike in Abbasiyeh after an evacuation warning (AFP)

Israel on Friday began striking targets belonging to the Lebanese state and said it intended to hit civilian facilities, as preparations continued for a ground operation in the south.

Early signs of the operation appeared as limited, temporary incursions that expanded on Friday toward the outskirts of the Litani River, with a commando unit deployed to carry out a mission in the second line along the border with Israel.

The Israeli military began targeting civilian assets of the Lebanese state on Thursday, striking a bridge over the Litani River in the Qantara area that links Wadi al-Hujair to villages along the frontline of the border.

It later struck another major bridge over the Litani connecting the towns of Zrariyeh and Tair Falsay, cutting off large parts of the area south of the river from the north.

The Israeli military secured political backing for targeting civilian facilities following threats issued on Wednesday, after Hezbollah fired about 200 rockets toward Israel within a few hours.

Israel’s public broadcaster said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the military to prepare additional civilian targets for approval after the Litani bridge was destroyed.

"This is just the beginning and the Lebanese government and the state of Lebanon will pay an increasing price in damage to Lebanese national infrastructure used by Hezbollah terrorists," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Friday.

He said Lebanon would suffer "loss of territory -- until it fulfils its central commitment of disarming Hezbollah.”

Katz’s remarks point to a ground operation the Israeli military has been preparing to launch inside Lebanese territory.

Preparations began last week, with four military divisions and two brigades massed along the border with Lebanon ahead of a possible incursion.

Israeli forces have already carried out limited raids inside Lebanese territory.

Largest incursions in Khiam

A Lebanese security source said the deepest incursion occurred from Tel al-Hamames toward the center of the town of Khiam, where Israeli forces expanded their presence and reached the town center.

The furthest advance from the border was recorded overnight from Thursday to Friday, when an Israeli commando unit reached the outskirts of Majdal Selm.

The unit is believed to have infiltrated through a concealed route in Wadi al-Slouki and detonated a house in the area.

The source described the lines of Israeli incursions in southern Lebanon, saying Israeli forces advanced from Tel al-Hamames toward Khiam and from the town of Adaisseh toward Rab al-Thalathin, expanding from there toward Taybeh.

Fierce clashes were reported and spread to the Mashari’ al-Taybeh area, though the source said Israeli forces did not enter the town.

South of that axis, Israeli forces advanced from an area between Markaba and Houla toward Tallousa in an attempt to reach vantage points overlooking Wadi al-Hujair.

There were also movements from Houla toward Wadi al-Slouki opposite the town of Shaqra, aiming to oversee the valley without descending into it.

The source said this axis saw the largest and most dangerous incursions, in what appeared to be an attempt to reach the Litani River and Wadi al-Hujair, areas Israel views as particularly sensitive.

Other axes saw smaller and less deep incursions despite troop movements, notably the Aitaroun-Yaroun-Bint Jbeil axis, where Israeli forces entered and withdrew. In the town of Qouzah, forces advanced to the outskirts of Beit Lif but did not enter it.

In the western sector, operational Israeli military presence in the towns of Dhayra and Alma al-Shaab remained limited.

Israeli forces nevertheless crossed the Blue Line from multiple directions as the Lebanese army withdrew from border positions to barracks and assembly points under a redeployment plan announced last week.

The move followed a Lebanese government decision not to confront the Israeli incursion. Hezbollah says its fighters are engaging advancing forces inside Lebanese territory and shelling Israeli troop gatherings along the border with rockets and artillery.

The source described the bridge strikes as dangerous, saying the targets were “not purely military” and carried indications of tightening pressure on civilians by forcing them toward specific routes or threatening to trap them inside the area.

Arab World

US Embassy Compound in Baghdad Hit in Missile Attack as Airstrike Kills 2

US soldiers inspect the damage caused by a bombing in Baghdad, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
US soldiers inspect the damage caused by a bombing in Baghdad, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
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US Embassy Compound in Baghdad Hit in Missile Attack as Airstrike Kills 2

US soldiers inspect the damage caused by a bombing in Baghdad, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
US soldiers inspect the damage caused by a bombing in Baghdad, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

The US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad was hit in a missile attack on Saturday, causing smoke to rise from the building, Iraqi security sources said.

They did not have further details on the ‌strike.

Earlier, an airstrike hit a house in Baghdad, killing at least one person, according to a security official and another affiliated with the Iranian-backed armed groups in the country.

The strike in Baghdad’s Karrada district also wounded two people, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the press.

In a statement, the Iraqi military condemned the strike as “a blatant violation of all humanitarian values and a disregard for international conventions.”