U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on Thursday that it has finished the systematic withdrawal of U.S. troops from the al-Tanf camp in Syria. This was part of a cautious and conditional plan to hand over the base to the Syrian National Army.
According to U.S. officials, the last soldiers left the base on Wednesday, as confirmed by the Syrian Ministry of Defense. Following this, forces from the Syrian Arab Army gained control of the area, doing so in “full coordination” with American forces.
In a statement, Syria’s Defense Ministry mentioned that Syrian troops have initiated deployment along the Syria-Iraq-Jordan border, with plans to soon include border patrol units.
Reportedly, U.S. forces from al-Tanf are relocating to Jordan.
The al-Tanf base, positioned at the intersection of Syria, Jordan, and Iran, has been under the control of a U.S.-led coalition aiming to defeat ISIS since 2014.
CENTCOM indicated that the handover of control to Syrian forces aligns with U.S. policy aimed at “consolidating its presence in Syria” after the territorial defeat of ISIS in 2019.
The U.S. military continues to support partner-led initiatives to prevent the resurgence of terrorist networks and has made it clear that it remains prepared to address any ISIS threats in the region, noted CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper.
Cooper emphasized that maintaining pressure on ISIS is vital for protecting U.S. interests and enhancing security in the region.
In recent months, U.S. forces have targeted over 100 locations in Syria using more than 350 precision weapons, resulting in the capture or elimination of more than 50 ISIS fighters, as per CENTCOM data.
Despite the collapse of ISIS’s “caliphate” in Syria and Iraq in 2019, Reuters pointed out on Thursday that the al-Tanf base remains an essential position in countering Iranian influence, given its strategic location along the Damascus-Tehran route.
Following the success of various rebel and jihadist groups, it became politically challenging to maintain a foothold in the region. In December 2024, Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad launched an unexpected assault on Damascus. This led to a military regime under Ahmed al-Shara, a former al-Qaeda commander who transitioned to politics and aimed to establish a more inclusive government.
President Trump expressed confidence in Shara’s ability to fulfill his promises and generally backed his efforts to unify Syria under a centralized military framework. This created tension with restive, semi-autonomous groups like the Druze and Kurds.
Shara’s government officially joined the global coalition against ISIS in November 2025.
David Adesnik from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies warned that the U.S. might be taking a risky step by handing over the strategic al-Tanf base to Shara’s forces. He raised concerns that these forces, which include many former jihadists, might not be as effective at intercepting arms smuggling from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon as the U.S. hopes.
Daniel Shapiro, a former senior Pentagon official now with the Atlantic Council, remarked that transferring al-Tanf to Damascus was likely the right decision, but whether the new authorities will effectively manage the responsibilities remains uncertain.
