This week’s escalation in Aleppo city comes amid a deepening political crisis between Damascus and the SDF, particularly after the latest round of negotiations to implement the March 2025 agreement stalled.
Abdurrahman Mustafa, the head of the Syrian Interim Government, was a relatively obscure figure with little background in politics before 2014. Today, he sits at the top of Syria’s political opposition, bolstered by major Turkish support. How did his star rise?
By targeting top civilian and military leaders who were the cornerstones of local negotiating committees through a series of assassinations, Damascus has successfully marginalized Daraa’s bargaining power.
