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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Syrian Blitzkrieg: How Damascus Crushed the SDF

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