Syrian Army’s New Military Zone Declared East of Aleppo Signals Rising Kurdish Conflict

In a troubling development for Middle Eastern stability and American national security, the Syrian army has declared an area east of Aleppo a closed military zone. This move marks a clear escalation in tensions between Damascus-backed forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose relationship with both the U.S. and Turkey complicates the conflict. Recent weeks saw fierce clashes in Aleppo displacing tens of thousands, culminating in Kurdish fighters withdrawing from Sheikh Maqsoud. Yet instead of peace, Syrian officials accuse the SDF of mobilizing near Maskana and Deir Hafer—claims denied by the Kurds but taken seriously by Damascus, which...