Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with former CIA Director David Petraeus in Erbil on October 13th, 2025, to discuss the situation in the Kurdistan Region and the wider Middle East. The meeting occurred during a period of significant political and military developments in Syria, including reports of a preliminary agreement to integrate Syrian Kurdish forces with the regular Syrian army. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander Mazloum Abdi announced on October 13th that a preliminary agreement has been reached to integrate the SDF and the Internal Security Forces (ISF) into the Ministries of Defense and Interior, respectively, under new designations. Abdi stated in an interview with Agence France-Presse that talks are ongoing in Damascus between his forces and the transitional authorities regarding the mechanism for this integration, which would see the forces join these ministries with new names and formations. This development follows a meeting between a military and security delegation from North and East Syria and the Syrian government in Damascus, which concluded earlier today, October 13th, between 11:37 AM and 2:37 PM UTC. Sources reported a positive atmosphere during these discussions, which were framed within the context of the March 10 Agreement and aimed at reinforcing national dialogue and stability. Earlier on October 13th, social media user Armand Doma posted on X (formerly Twitter) at approximately 3:37 PM UTC, commenting on the President of Syria. This comment was made following the conclusion of the delegation's meetings in Damascus.
