US Commander Urges Restraint Amid Escalated Fighting in Syria’s Aleppo

America supported the Syrian Democratic Forces during the Syrian civil war, but has also tried to make diplomatic inroads with the new interim government.

A member of the Kurdish security forces stands guard as Syrian Kurds hold a portrait of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa that reads "Killers of Humanity," during a protest in the Kurdish-controlled northeastern city of Qamishli on Jan. 13, 2026. Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images

The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East raised a note of alarm on Jan. 13 over a new outburst of fighting in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo.

“We are closely monitoring developments in Aleppo and the surrounding region,” Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, said in a press statement.