Recently, there have been significant U.S. military movements in Syria, which analysts believe indicate that Washington is developing new strategies in the region. These movements involve the introduction of new weapons and the establishment of fresh military formations in various locations.
Moscow has expressed its concerns regarding these actions, issuing four statements within a week to warn against the U.S. military movements. Prior to this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during a meeting of foreign ministers from Syria, Russia, Turkey, and Iran in Moscow on April 10th, highlighted the American intentions to create a Free Syrian Army in the Raqqa area.
According to sources on the ground quoted by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, these U.S .actions aim to strengthen their control over certain areas and exert additional pressure to hinder any political progress without their consent. The targeted regions include oil sites in eastern Syria, Raqqa in the north, and even the southeastern al-Tanf region bordering Jordan and Iraq.
The sources have taken note of a report published by the American newspaper “Washington Post,” which claims the existence of secret documents confirming an Iranian-Russian intention to launch attacks against U.S. forces in Syria. However, these sources believe that these reports are merely an American effort to provide justification for the movements of U.S. forces. According to the sources cited in Al-Akhbar, Washington is sensing a Russian-Turkish threat. They further state, “This threat aims to obstruct any potential changes on the ground resulting from the Syrian-Turkish rapprochement, which includes the removal of U.S. forces from Syria as one of its primary objectives.”
Regarding the American strategy of developing factions with an Arab component, the sources point out that this approach is not new. Washington, recognizing the Turkish-Kurdish dispute as a source of ongoing tension in areas where its forces are present, has realized the need to engage with factions that have an Arab composition. This move provides the United States with greater cover, as the Kurdish forces may be insufficient to secure their areas of influence, and expanding the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carries significant risks.
While Washington continues to justify its military presence in Syria under the pretext of combating terrorist organizations, field sources quoted by the Lebanese newspaper suggest that the U.S. is persisting in conducting targeted airstrikes, which can be exploited in the media against individuals claiming affiliation with ISIS and al-Qaeda. Additionally, there are ongoing discussions about the dangers posed by these organizations and concerns about potential new attacks.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
