Legacy principle: the Syrian army may receive US weapons for the first time

For the first time, Syria may receive American weapons that were in the arsenal of the Kurdish formations. This became possible after the signing of an agreement on March 10 between Damascus and the leadership of the Kurdish "Syrian Democratic Forces" (SDF). It was prepared in February 2025 after a series of meetings with the participation of the US military, a Kurdish source told Izvestia. According to media reports, the agreement became possible due to signals from Washington about its intention to withdraw troops from Syria, which will leave the Kurds in a vulnerable position to threats from Turkey. What weapons may end up in the Syrian army can be found in the Izvestia article.

The Syrian army may receive American weapons

The Syrian army may soon receive American weapons that were previously at the disposal of the Kurdish armed forces. The transfer became possible after the signing of an agreement between the Syrian government and the leadership of the Kurdish "Syrian Democratic Forces" (SDF) on March 10. According to the document, Kurdish militant groups and civilian structures will transfer to Syrian state institutions. This will have serious consequences for the military and political situation in Syria.

The agreement was reached amid signals from the United States about its readiness to leave Syria soon, sources tell Syria TV. Reports of the withdrawal of American troops largely influenced the decision of the Kurdish leaders. The SDF, which was previously under the protection of the United States, is now forced to look for new ways to ensure its own security.

The United States may concede in the supply of weapons to the Syrian army if Washington's coordination and control are established, according to Syrian political analyst Mahmoud al-Toron. He claims that the agreement between Damascus and the Kurds could only happen with the consent of the United States, which, in his opinion, confirms the "green light" from Washington.

Thus, the Syrian army will significantly strengthen both economically and militarily. The SDF is considered to be large and well-equipped formations with modern weapons and heavy weapons. The number, according to various estimates, can reach 100 thousand fighters.

Previously, the United States supplied the Kurds with Humwee and Cougar armored vehicles, FGM-148 Javelin and BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missile systems, communications equipment, MK 19 grenade launchers, mortar shells, and drones. The new resources will significantly increase the military potential of the Syrian army.

Details of the agreement

The signed document was finalized in February 2025, a Kurdish source told Izvestia. According to him, the agreement was prepared after a number of meetings, including with the participation of the US military.

During talks with SDF commander Mazlum Abdi, Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sheraa stressed the importance of ensuring the rights of the Syrian Kurds under the new government, including guaranteeing their cultural and linguistic rights in the future constitution.

An important point remains the issue of control over key strategic facilities — these are oil fields, prisons where IG militants (the Islamic State, an organization recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in the Russian Federation), and border crossings with Turkey and Iraq. The agreement assumes that the Syrian authorities will take control of all these facilities, which will strengthen the government's position against the backdrop of a difficult political situation. According to the Al Arabi Al Jadeed newspaper, the Syrian army has already sent a military convoy to key facilities in the northeastern part of the country.

It is important to note that the agreement between the Kurdish forces and the Syrian government will not lead to a change in the strategy of the fight against ISIS. This was reported by the Kurdish North Press agency, citing the leadership of the SDF. In addition, it is reported that joint operations between the SDF and the Syrian army against ISIS cells in the Syrian desert are planned in the near future, which indicates the beginning of closer military cooperation between the parties.

It is curious that until recently there were significant disagreements between the center and the Kurdish factions. In particular, the Kurds were not invited to the national dialogue conference, which was held in Damascus on February 25. The main topic of discussion around the constitutional declaration concerned articles that establish Sharia as the main source of law, and the Kurds object to this, Vladimir Akhmedov, a senior researcher at the Center for the Study of General Problems of the Modern East of the Islamic Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.

Problems of integration of Kurds with Damascus

At the same time, there are many significant factors that influenced the decision of the SDF to reach an agreement with Damascus. First, there is the potential withdrawal of US forces from the region, which puts the Kurds in a vulnerable position due to the serious Turkish threat, says Iraqi military expert Hatem Al-Falahi. Secondly, the events on the Syrian coast, including the clashes, have become an important indicator for Damascus: interaction with armed groups can lead to undesirable consequences if they are not controlled from the center.

At the same time, problems may arise in the process of integrating the Kurdish forces into the structure of the Syrian Ministry of Defense. According to Hatem Al-Falahi, this is primarily a personnel issue. It concerns the distribution of posts, the delegation of tasks and objectives, as well as the interaction between various military authorities. It is also necessary to resolve the issue of the safety of weapons belonging to the Kurdish formations.

The problem here may be created by the position of Turkey, which is unlikely to agree to the storage of these weapons on Syrian territory located in close proximity to its borders. These issues will be crucial for the implementation of the agreement and further relations between the Kurds and the Syrian government.

In addition, it cannot be said that all factions within the SDF agree with integration into the Syrian army, Hatem Al-Falahi draws attention to. Some groups may reject the offer and remain in the status of independent formations, which will also require additional settlement.