US senator sees growing senate consensus to protect Kurds amid Syria’s crisis

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Senator Lindsey Graham on Friday said there is a “strong consensus” in the Senate to protect the Kurds who helped defeat the Islamic State (ISIS), reflecting growing bipartisan concern over Syria’s deteriorating situation.

“There is strong and growing bipartisan interest in the U.S. Senate regarding the deteriorating situation in Syria,” Graham wrote in a post on X.

The outspoken senator added: “There is strong consensus that we must protect the Kurds who were there for us in destroying the ISIS caliphate, as well as many other groups.” He concluded with a note of caution: “The powers of the Senate are real. Stay tuned.”

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) serve as the de facto military authority in northeastern Syria. Until Syria joined the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November, the SDF had been the coalition’s sole on-the-ground partner, playing a critical role in defeating ISIS in Syria in 2019.

Since the start of a major offensive by Damascus-linked forces, Graham has repeatedly warned the new authorities in Damascus to leave the Kurds unharmed. He emphasized that Kurdish leadership in northeastern Syria has been a key US ally in defeating ISIS, which once controlled territory in Iraq and Syria roughly the size of the United Kingdom.

Earlier this week, ahead of Kurdish forces’ withdrawal from Raqqa, Graham warned he would push to reimpose “bone-crushing sanctions” on Syria if its forces continued advancing toward the city, cautioning that such actions could “permanently” damage ties with Washington.

“Apparently no one in Syria is listening to me or other U.S. government officials,” Graham said on Monday. “If this continues, not only will there be bone-crushing sanctions, it will permanently damage relationships between the U.S. and the new Syrian government.”

The senator added that he had “tried to be fair to the new government, but apparently it’s falling on deaf ears. If you want a conflict with the U.S. Senate and to do permanent damage to the U.S.-Syria relationship, keep going. If you want to salvage the relationship, stop and turn around.”

Since mid-January, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and allied groups have advanced into areas previously controlled by the SDF, including parts of eastern Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, and the predominantly Kurdish Hasaka province. These advances have raised concerns among Kurdish communities in northeastern Syria, known as Rojava.

Fears have intensified amid reports that Damascus-affiliated factions facilitated the escape of numerous ISIS detainees from SDF-run facilities. A ceasefire agreement signed earlier this month, designed to integrate SDF structures into Syrian state institutions, has repeatedly been violated, raising concerns about renewed displacement and broader regional instability. Each violation also heightens risks to ISIS detention facilities.

On Tuesday, the Syrian presidency announced that Damascus and the SDF had reached a “mutual understanding” on several issues. Under the agreement, the SDF was granted a four-day consultation period to submit a detailed plan for integrating areas under its control.

As part of the arrangement, the Syrian Arab Army announced early Friday that it had begun transferring SDF fighters from al-Aqtan prison and surrounding areas in Raqqa province to the city of Kobane.