Syrian President called the US’s bluff—and it paid off

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. With a swift offensive against a Kurdish-led militia last weekend, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa proved himself once again to be a bold military tactician and a gambler willing to risk his relationship with the U.S. to achieve his aims.

He ordered the offensive despite threats from Washington that it would reimpose sanctions and the U.S. military’s fears that it could endanger soldiers in the region and lead to the escape of thousands of Islamic State prisoners. In the end, Sharaa’s gambit paid off.

His lieutenants persuaded Arab factions within the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces to switch sides to the government, unraveling the Kurdish-led militia in a matter of days as it pulled back from a swath of northeast Syria. That has far-reaching consequences for Syria and for the Pentagon’s Middle East footprint. Senior U.S.

military officials are now discussing a broader military exit after more than a decade in the country. Once an insurgent fighter in Iraq who was captured by U.S. forces, Sharaa has forged a surprising relationship with the Trump administration, which backed him to avoid a dangerous power vacuum after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

His latest moves haven’t cost him that support, though some U.S. lawmakers and military officials remain wary of the Syrian leader’s militant past. President Trump on Thursday praised Sharaa for what he said was “tremendous progress," adding, “I think he’s going to put it all together." The takeover of most of northeastern Syria is Sharaa’s most important strategic victory since he led the rebel offensive against Assad’s rule in 2024.