File image.
The United States will withdraw all of its remaining troops in Syria, numbered around 1,000, in the next two months, The Wall Street Journal reported on February 19.
Citing U.S. officials, the newspaper said that Washington concluded that a U.S. military presence in Syria is no longer required, citing the near-complete dissolution of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and its subsequent integration into the Syrian state structure, rendering the original mission to fight ISIS via local partners effectively over.
U.S. troops left al-Tanf garrison, a key outpost near the borders of Syria, Jordan and Iraq, as well as a base near the town of al-Shadadi in northeast of the country earlier this month.
The report said that the withdrawal is not linked to the current U.S. naval and air deployments in the Middle East, which are aimed at potential strikes on Iran if nuclear talks collapse. It noted, however, that the Islamic Republic warned that it would target American forces in the region in response to any U.S. attack.
A senior U.S. official told the newspaper that Syrian government forces are taking over counterterrorism efforts, adding that the U.S. military can still respond to any ISIS threats inside the country.
Some U.S. and foreign officials warned that a reduced U.S. military presence could risk a ceasefire breakdown between the Syrian government and the SDF, and by that allow ISIS to regroup, according The Wall Street Journal, which noted that others said the remaining troops mainly served as a political signal rather than a substantial counterterrorism force.
Reports of a U.S. plan to completely withdraw from Syria first emerged following the fall of the regime of former president, Bashar al-Assad, more than a year ago.
However, last year some reports suggested that the U.S. was planning to take over a key air base near the country’s capital, Damascus. Now, it appears that these plans have been scrapped.
Commenting on the U.S. withdrawal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urged Washington to manage the departure “in a way that does not generate new threats.”
Speaking in an interview with the Al-Arabia TV channel on the same day The Wall Street Journal published its report, he said that ISIS camps were left unattended in that area, where up to 10,000 detained terrorists dispersed into Iraq and beyond, warning that if the problem is not addressed, it may fuel further regional instability.
U.S. troops moved more than 5,000 ISIS detainees to Iraq in recent weeks, but thousands of terrorists and people linked to the group are believed to have fled camps and prisons which the Syrian government took over during its offensive against the SDF last month.
Lavrov seemed optimistic at the prospect of a lasting Russian military presence in Syria, telling Al-Arabia that talks with the country’s government on the issue are progressing.
“As for our military facilities, discussions are ongoing. Let me reiterate — the Syrians are keen for our presence to endure. These sites, while no longer purely military in function as they were prior to December 2025, remain well-suited for repurposing as humanitarian hubs,” he said.
Lavrov argued that Moscow’s presence in Syria, particularly at Khmeimim and Tartus on the coast, is seen as “a stabilizing counterweight to other players.”
“Syria serves as a convenient transit point. We stand ready to channel our humanitarian aid – including that destined for Africa – through these facilities. We would welcome other states likewise availing themselves of these operational platforms to direct humanitarian and other civilian freight toward the African continent,” he said.
While the U.S. is withdrawing its troops from Syria, it maintains strong influence over the government there. Many in Washington are still keen on seeing a Russian military withdrawal from the country. Thus, it won’t be surprising if Syria faced pressure over the issue.
The Syrian government, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, has stated from the start that it wants balanced relations with all sides. However, this will likely be very hard to achieve in practice. The country is weak, poor, and Syrians are fractured more than ever. It is in no position to resist pressure from any side.
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well andy pandys been taken into custody arrested and escorted from sandringham to his majesty’s detention centre for further processing according to a little birdie on the wing. so how longs a piece of string that leads to the monarchs knowledge all about jefferies lolita. et al.
charged with improper conduct which potentially carries a life sentence and they can’t arrest someone until they’ve made an incriminating admission. it’s his birthday too. 66 and 6 minutes maybe.
improper conduct in public office. yes very serious offence and i’d suspect lord mandelson s the next little sitting ducky now. both passed “sensitive classified” info to epstein after his soliciting conviction i believe. very in appropriate conduct.
it’s a criminal offence to keep your cake hole shut when you know of any criminal acts whatsoever. by law
6 cop cars descended on sandringham, swooped now the cuckoo’s lost his royal protection status . its a revolution as louis the xvi said when told of the storming of the bastille.
“they” say he said its a revolt and his servant, you know, the story, corrected him saying nay sire its a revolutuon i don’t think so.
yep, job done, the democratic and sovereign country of syria has been conquered and it’s goverment overthrown, a new controlled puppet government installed (a former wanted terrorist is now its leader!!!) which has opened (sold/transferred) all the country’s assets to usg and israeli control, the military has been destroyed and controlled, hence there is no more reason to have us troops there under the guise of eliminating fake terrorists which were controlled by the zionst west anyway.
nazionalist west.
so it’s all about the old ooot of afrikaaa access and rivalry. syrias in the sandwich of the competing nations which all want to win the african hearts and mines.