February 15, 2026.
In a move reflecting evolving regional dynamics, the Damascus government recently joined the U.S-led coalition to combat ISIS. The Syrian government became the 90th member in November of last year, attending their most recent meeting in Saudi Arabia on February 9. The meeting follows an agreement between the SDF and the Sharaa government on January 29, which sees that the Syrian government is to deploy its forces to former SDF-held territory. Furthermore, the Damascus government seeks to assume full leadership of counter-ISIS efforts in Syria. [1] Among other aims, particularly those held by the U.S, concern the transfer of up to 9,000 ISIS prisoners from camps in Syria to stable areas in Iraq.[2]
ISIS must remain at the forefront of security concerns, not only for the U.S, but for all state actors in the Middle East. It’s possible that the new Syrian government will not be able to replace the SDF as an effective actor to counter ISIS, leaving a vacuum in north-eastern Syria. For over a decade, the SDF has performed a range of diverse anti-ISIS functions. Certain elements such as the SDF’s “networks and military infrastructure,” are unable to be “replaced overnight.” [3] In the ten years the SDF fight and successfully countered ISIS, it has established “mechanisms to draw on U.S intelligence support and an elite counter-ISIS special operations force trained by the United States.”[4]
The Syrian government not only has to work to counter ISIS, but also consolidate its power over newly gained territories, which it and its preexisting militant groups have never administered before. This transfer may provide a window for ISIS to resurge. Therefore, the U.S must play a more hands-on role, pressuring both sides take actions that will ensure a more stable and orderly transfer of territory and power in north-eastern Syria.
[1] Syria joins anti-Islamic State coalition meeting as territory transition with SDF continues – FDD’s Long War Journal
[2] Syria joining anti-IS coalition ‘marks a new chapter’ in global security, US envoy says | AP News
[3] The Syrian Govt Cannot Immediately Replace the SDF | ISW
[4] The Syrian Govt Cannot Immediately Replace the SDF | ISW
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