Levant in January 2026: the most important developments in politics
In January 2026 the Levant was dominated by the confrontation between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and by the diplomacy around it. After fighting in Aleppo that the UN called gravely alarming, a US envoy arrived in Syria on 17 January and the SDF commander travelled to Erbil. President al-Sharaa issued a decree recognising the Kurdish language. A ceasefire on all fronts was announced on 18 January and welcomed by the United States, Egypt, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. On 20 January Kurdish officials said talks had collapsed and the SDF demanded decentralisation, while the government reportedly gave the SDF four days to plan the integration of Hasakah and Washington signalled an end to military support for the Kurdish forces. On 30 January both sides agreed a comprehensive deal for phased integration of the SDF into state military and administrative structures. A ceasefire was in effect at month end, and the United States called the agreement a historic milestone.
Syria's leadership also held talks with outside powers. President Trump spoke with Turkish President Erdogan on 21 January about Syria and Gaza, spoke with al-Sharaa, and praised him after the offensive against the SDF. Al-Sharaa met Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on 28 January to discuss military aid and Russia's role in the region. Al-Sharaa put a planned visit to Germany on hold. Israel and Syria agreed in Paris on 6 January to share intelligence and set up a joint communication mechanism under US mediation; Palestinian officials called the reported arrangement a rebranding of normalisation.
In Lebanon, the foreign minister said Israel has the right to attack as long as Hezbollah remains armed. France is to host a conference in support of the Lebanese army, and the army commander is due to visit the United States. A senior Hezbollah official warned of a major regional conflict in the event of a US strike on Iran. On Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and other states reportedly joined a US-led Board of Peace, and Qatar, Jordan and Egypt condemned what they described as Israeli ceasefire violations.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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