The United States is reportedly getting ready to pull out all of its approximately 1,000 troops from Syria, effectively concluding a military presence that spanned a decade. This shift comes as President Donald Trump adjusts America’s approach in the Middle East.
According to three U.S. officials who spoke with The Wall Street Journal, the military has already vacated some critical locations this year and is set to complete the withdrawal within the next two months.
This decision marks the end of the U.S. ground operation that began in 2014 under Operation Inherent Resolve, which sought to dismantle ISIS. After ISIS made significant territorial gains in 2019, U.S. forces stayed on to assist local partners and deter any resurgence of the group, as well as to counter Iranian-backed militias active in the area.
Previously, U.S. forces had withdrawn from al-Tanf Garrison, a strategic site near the borders of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq, as part of a broader shift announced earlier this year. At that time, U.S. Central Command maintained that forces would continue targeting ISIS while ensuring long-term stability.
Officials clarified that the ongoing withdrawal isn’t linked to the recent buildup of U.S. naval and air capabilities in the region amid increasing tensions with Iran regarding its nuclear ambitions. Iran has warned it may respond to U.S. airstrikes by targeting U.S. forces in the area.
The Trump administration has evaluated that maintaining troops in Syria is no longer needed due to changes in local authority, such as the inclusion of Kurdish forces into the Syrian military after the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.
In a recent meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed counterterrorism cooperation and the fragile ceasefire with Syria’s foreign minister. This change is noteworthy, especially since just weeks earlier, the U.S. military had relocated 150 ISIS fighters from a facility in Hasakah, Syria, to safety in Iraq.
Discussions have also suggested that thousands more detainees might be moved as part of efforts for long-term stabilization. Interestingly, Syria recently became the 90th member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, an international group formed to coordinate measures against the extremist organization.
Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, mentioned that Damascus appears prepared to take on security duties, such as overseeing ISIS detention facilities, under interim president Ahmed al-Shara following al-Assad’s ouster in 2024.
