US Tightens Demands on Syria Over Jihadist Monitoring and Hezbollah Issue

In mid-July, senior Syrian and American officials met, during which the US intensified its conditions on Syria. This escalation stems from Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara's refusal to take military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon, causing a deep rift between Washington and war-weary Damascus. According to the Lebanese outlet Al-Modon, the US demanded the establishment of a monitoring system for foreign jihadist fighters to prevent future attacks against the US and its allies, including the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Washington also called for implementing a "fair integration" plan for the SDF into Syria's security apparatus, a contentious issue due to Kurdish resistance to disbanding their units versus Damascus's demand to dissolve the SDF and integrate fighters separately. The Syrian government did not provide an immediate response, opting instead to study the matter and consult with Turkey. Concurrently, Damascus proposed tightening border controls with Iraq and Lebanon, supporting this with examples of seized weapons, including a truck carrying dozens of explosive drones en route to Hezbollah.