US to Withdraw 1,000 Remaining Troops From Syria US to Withdraw 1,000 Remaining Troops From Syria

Rabat – White House officials disclosed to the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday the US is removing roughly 1,000 remaining troops from Syria, marking an end to the country’s decade-long military presence in the country fighting the Islamic State group (ISIS).

Syrian forces already reclaimed control of the al-Tanf military base near the border with Iraq and Jordan last week. The Syrian Defense Ministry said that the Syrian Arab Army units had secured the base “through coordination between the Syrian and American sides.”

The base was a key operations site for the global coalition against ISIS who at the time controlled significant portions of Syria and Iraq.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said last week’s “orderly departure” was “part of a deliberate and conditions-based transition.”

While the withdrawal will likely take place over the next two months, US President Donald Trump has been considering a full withdrawal since at least January.

The downfall of al-Assad in 2024 in hand with a weakened Islamic State resulted in an increased US interest in strengthening diplomatic ties with Damascus. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Trump in the White House in November, the first visit from a Syrian leader since the country became independent nearly 80 years ago.

Coinciding tensions in Iran

The officials said that this decision is not related to the simultaneous military buildup around Iran, as Trump continues to threaten military action against the country for its crackdown on anti-government protesters and frustrations over nuclear negotiations.

BBC Verify confirmed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier’s location near Iran last week. The US reportedly also sent USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest warship, expected to arrive in the Middle East in the next three weeks.

Consolidating Syrian security

The US says the withdrawal is part of a broader agreement focused on reconfiguring Syria’s security and unifying state authority after years of internal discord. The US’s primary partner in their fight against ISIS, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), will now merge with the Syrian army.

This merger follows previous attempts under al-Sharaa to regain control of regions outside Damascus’s authority, notably in the Northeast where the SDF have a foothold.

Al-Sharaa’s government seized large portions of Kurdish-held land through deadly attacks, intensifying fears of reigniting regional conflict.

A US-backed ceasefire deal at the end of January set a path for integrating the two forces.