Syrian Blitzkrieg: How Damascus Crushed the SDF

In this episode, Aaron Zelin returns to Conflicted to unpack the extraordinary collapse of the Syrian Democratic Forces’ position in northeast Syria over the past week — and what the fallout could mean for Syria’s fragile post-Assad order.

Aaron explains:

• Why the March 2025 framework agreement ultimately failed

• Why Sunni Arab tribes abandoned the SDF — and how Damascus prepared the ground

• How and why fighting erupted in Kurdish neighbourhoods of Aleppo

• The rapid fall of SDF-held areas in Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Hasakah

• What happened at ISIS prisons and detention camps during the collapse

• Why claims of ‘Kurdish abandonment’ by the United States are misleading

• The PKK factor — and the risk of a new insurgency or terrorism campaign

• What Syria’s consolidation means for ISIS, regional stability, and the country’s future

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Conflicted is a Message Heard production.

Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren.

This episode was produced and edited by Thomas Small.

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