--- title: "An American Ally in the Middle East Just Collapsed. Here's What that Means" description: "Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code WARFRONTS at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/warfronts Stay ahead of global conflicts with WarFronts Weekly. Get sharp, no-nonsense military analysis straight to your inbox. Subscribe: https://fronts.co/warfronts-weekly Get full conflict briefings, and members-only analysis at fronts.co https://fronts.co Join the community and discuss current flashpoints in real time: https://www.reddit.com/r/frontsco This video is #sponsored by Saily. Love the content? Explore Simon's other YouTube channels: Megaprojects: https://www.youtube.com/@megaprojects9649 SideProjects: https://www.youtube.com/@Sideprojects Into The Shadows: https://www.youtube.com/@IntotheShadows Today I Found Out: https://www.youtube.com/@TodayIFoundOut Brain Blaze: https://www.youtube.com/@brainblaze6526 Casual Criminalist: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCasualCriminalist Decoding the Unknown: https://www.youtube.com/@decodingtheunknown2373 Places: https://www.youtube.com/@Places302 Celestium: https://www.youtube.com/@Celestium1234 PoliticalFronts: http://www.youtube.com/@homefronts Simon on social: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SimonWhistler Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonwhistler/ Sources https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g39w8k8zwo https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/1/20/syria-fighting-live-ceasefire-under-duress-as-govt-moves-into-hasakah https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kurdish-rudaw-website-reports-around-1500-islamic-state-members-escaped-syrias-2026-01-19/ https://www.dw.com/en/kurds-vs-syrian-government-troops-what-you-need-to-know/a-75580975 https://x.com/briancartr/status/2012983461649264725 https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/syrian-government-offensive-forces-syrian-kurdish-group-to-capitulate/ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/19/who-are-the-kurds-2 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/1/19/syria-live-government-forces-take-control-after-heavy-fighting-with-sdf https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-882978 https://www.arabnews.com/node/2630014/middle-east https://www.meforum.org/mef-observer/pkks-peoples-brotherhood-has-no-place-in-the-middle-east https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/international/syrian-arab-fighters-kick-out-us-backed-sdf-from-strategic-raqqa-city-in-blow-to-kurds-watch/videoshow/126664725.cms https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/world/middleeast/us-pivot-in-syria-leaves-an-old-ally-in-the-lurch.html https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-syrias-sharaa-captured-kurdish-held-areas-while-keeping-us-onside-2026-01-21/" url: https://fronts.co/videos/warfronts-kthktfhuvzk.md canonical: https://fronts.co/videos/warfronts-kthktfhuvzk/ datePublished: 2026-01-23T19:00:53.000Z dateModified: 2026-01-23T19:00:53.000Z author: - name: Fronts Staff url: https://fronts.co/authors/fronts-team/ publisher: Fronts type: NewsArticle language: en access: members isAccessibleForFree: false tokens: 680 --- Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code WARFRONTS at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/warfronts Stay ahead of global conflicts with WarFronts Weekly. Get sharp, no-nonsense military analysis straight to your inbox. Subscribe: https://fronts.co/warfronts-weekly Get full conflict briefings, and members-only analysis at fronts.co https://fronts.co Join the community and discuss current flashpoints in real time: https://www.reddit.com/r/frontsco This video is #sponsored by Saily. Love the content? Explore Simon's other YouTube channels: Megaprojects: https://www.youtube.com/@megaprojects9649 SideProjects: https://www.youtube.com/@Sideprojects Into The Shadows: https://www.youtube.com/@IntotheShadows Today I Found Out: https://www.youtube.com/@TodayIFoundOut Brain Blaze: https://www.youtube.com/@brainblaze6526 Casual Criminalist: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCasualCriminalist Decoding the Unknown: https://www.youtube.com/@decodingtheunknown2373 Places: https://www.youtube.com/@Places302 Celestium: https://www.youtube.com/@Celestium1234 PoliticalFronts: http://www.youtube.com/@homefronts Simon on social: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SimonWhistler Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonwhistler/ Sources https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g39w8k8zwo https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/1/20/syria-fighting-live-ceasefire-under-duress-as-govt-moves-into-hasakah https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kurdish-rudaw-website-reports-around-1500-islamic-state-members-escaped-syrias-2026-01-19/ https://www.dw.com/en/kurds-vs-syrian-government-troops-what-you-need-to-know/a-75580975 https://x.com/briancartr/status/2012983461649264725 https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/syrian-government-offensive-forces-syrian-kurdish-group-to-capitulate/ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/19/who-are-the-kurds-2 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/1/19/syria-live-government-forces-take-control-after-heavy-fighting-with-sdf https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-882978 https://www.arabnews.com/node/2630014/middle-east https://www.meforum.org/mef-observer/pkks-peoples-brotherhood-has-no-place-in-the-middle-east https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/international/syrian-arab-fighters-kick-out-us-backed-sdf-from-strategic-raqqa-city-in-blow-to-kurds-watch/videoshow/126664725.cms https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/world/middleeast/us-pivot-in-syria-leaves-an-old-ally-in-the-lurch.html https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-syrias-sharaa-captured-kurdish-held-areas-while-keeping-us-onside-2026-01-21/ --- Full analysis is behind the paywall. Read the gated piece at https://fronts.co/videos/warfronts-kthktfhuvzk/.