US Senator Lindsey Graham warned on Wednesday that a further military move against Washington’s Kurdish partners in Syria by Syrian government forces and Turkey could spark a “strong reaction” from the United States, as scrutiny grows over alleged abuses during recent fighting in and around Aleppo.
Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said in a post on X that he was getting what he described as “credible reports” that Syrian army forces and Turkey “may be advancing further” against “our Kurdish allies.”
I completely endorse and support Senator Risch’s call for calm in Syria, putting the new Syrian government on notice that human rights abuses against minorities will not be tolerated. Most disturbing of all is that I’m getting what I believe to be credible reports that Syrian… https://t.co/LDH04ZjuMA
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 14, 2026
His comments came after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Senator James Risch, a Republican from Idaho, urged Syria’s new government to hold accountable those responsible for what he called “egregious acts” in Aleppo over the past week.
The warnings follow days of clashes that flared on January 6 in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, including Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, during a standoff between Syrian forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed alliance that helped defeat the Islamic State group’s self-declared caliphate in Syria in 2019.
Rights groups have also highlighted alleged violations during the Aleppo violence. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said it verified a video from January 10 showing a Syrian army member throwing a woman’s body from a high floor in a neighborhood that was then under SDF control. The group said the act violated international humanitarian law and called for an independent investigation and accountability.
Graham said he supported giving Syria’s new government “a chance” but added that he would not accept what he called a “brazen attack” against the Kurdish-led forces, which he described as closely aligned with Israel. He told Syria’s government and Turkey to “choose wisely.”
Syria’s army on Wednesday moved to increase pressure on Kurdish-led forces, sending reinforcements to the east of Aleppo and declaring the areas “closed military zones.” Damascus demanded that the SDF withdraw east of the Euphrates River.
Turkey, which views the SDF as tied to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has backed Syria’s new authorities and has urged Kurdish forces to integrate into the Syrian state. Turkey has also said Syria’s security is tied to Turkey’s security, while Syrian Kurdish leaders say recent operations threaten civilians and risk reigniting a wider conflict.