Tensions in northeastern Syria between Kurdish militias and Ankara-backed groups must be resolved politically - otherwise there is a risk of "dramatic consequences" for the entire country, the UN envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown on December 8, there has been an escalation of clashes in northeastern Syria between Ankara-backed Syrian rebels and the Kurds of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which the US supports.
On December 9, Turkish-backed Syrian opposition groups captured the northern city of Manbij, which had been under SDF control until then. There has also been a build-up of artillery and fighters near the Kurdish-majority city of Kobani.
"If the situation in the northeast is not handled properly, it could be a very bad sign for the whole of Syria," Pedersen said. "If we fail now, it will have dramatic consequences," he added, warning that a new wave of displacement could follow.
The SDF, which is led by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), has offered to withdraw its forces from northwest Syria in exchange for a full ceasefire. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who met with Syria's new de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus yesterday, however, said the SDF should be completely disbanded.
Pedersen said a political solution "will require serious compromises" and should be part of a "transitional phase" under the leadership of the new Syrian government in Damascus. The UN envoy said he had spoken with al-Sharaa in Damascus last week and that the Syrian leader had committed to "transitional arrangements that will include everyone".
At the same time, Pedersen noted that overcoming tensions in the northeast of the country would be a test for the new Syria after more than half a century of rule by the Assad family. "The entire process of creating a new, free Syria will begin very, very... difficult", he concluded.
The Lebanese newspaper "Al Akbar" announced that Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq are ceasing hostilities against Israel, the Israeli news agency TPS reported, quoted by BTA.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Armed Forces have begun dismantling Palestinian terrorist bases, the Israeli agency added.
The domino effects of Donald Trump's return to Washington and the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Damascus are at the heart of these events.
The militias in Iraq have promised Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani that they will stop firing missiles and drones at Israel, and will also refrain from intervening in Syria, TPS notes.
According to Arab reports, the militias have withdrawn from their positions along the Syria-Iraq border.
This decision followed an Israeli warning to Iraq, sent through the UN.
According to data collected by According to the Washington Institute, a US-based think tank, Iraqi-based militias carried out more than 40 attacks against Israel in the first two weeks of October. By comparison, the militias claimed responsibility for 35 attacks in September.
Although the attacks began in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Kazem al-Fartousi, a spokesman for the Kataib Said al-Shuhada Brigades, told Al-Akbar: "The factions' operations against Israel were linked to Hezbollah's operations in Lebanon. When a ceasefire was reached in Lebanon, the Iraqi factions also stopped their operations."
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army began deploying in southern Lebanon, including the Bekaa Valley, where the situation is unstable. The army dismantled at least four bases belonging to Palestinian terrorist groups, including the Popular Front and the "Fatah Intifada".
These bases, previously protected by the Assad regime, were located near the Syria-Lebanon border. This is the first such operation by the Lebanese army against Palestinian terrorist groups, the TPS said, adding that this development cannot be seen in isolation.
"The"Trump effect" has created a sense of urgency among regional actors as they prepare for the policies of the incoming US administration. Similarly, the "Syria effect" has shifted alliances and exposed vulnerabilities within the Iranian axis, as Sunni rebel groups have been emboldened by the Syrian collapse.
The operational capabilities of the Israeli military also play a role in these strategic realignments. The destruction of Syrian military assets, including radar and air defense systems, opens new corridors for the Israeli air force to strike Iraq and Iran.