U.S. Plans Withdrawal Of Roughly 1,000 Troops From Syria
Washington will largely pull its roughly 1,000 troops from Syria over the next two months after a deal to integrate the Kurdish-led SDF into Syrian forces and a fragile ceasefire on January 29.
Overview
U.S. officials said the United States is preparing to withdraw roughly 1,000 troops from Syria over the next two months.
The decision follows a U.S.-brokered agreement that created a fragile ceasefire on January 29 and aims to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into Syria's armed forces.
Senior national security officials said the withdrawal is a conditions-based transition and is not connected to the current buildup of U.S. naval and air forces near Iran.
U.S. forces have been in Syria since 2015 and already left the al-Tanf garrison and the al-Shaddadi base earlier this year, and officials cited transfers of roughly 150 to 5,700 ISIS detainees and the December deaths of two service members and a translator.
Officials said U.S. forces will remain prepared to strike ISIS targets, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Syria's foreign minister to discuss counterterrorism and maintaining the ceasefire while monitoring regional threats.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this as a strategic US pivot: they foreground White House and senior security officials, highlight carrier movements and potential strikes near Iran, and present withdrawal as 'conditions-based.' Editorial choices — prioritizing official military perspectives and omitting Syrian/local viewpoints or independent analyses — create a security-focused narrative.
Sources (6)
FAQ
The U.S. is withdrawing because the Trump administration determined that a continued military footprint in Syria is no longer necessary following significant shifts in the region's political landscape. Key factors include the collapse of the Assad government in late 2024, the integration of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into Syria's armed forces through a January 30 agreement, and the establishment of a ceasefire on January 18. The U.S. perceives stability and internal cohesion among Syrian factions as the key that can unlock American disengagement from the country.
Roughly 1,000 American forces are expected to depart Syria within the next two months, completing a full withdrawal after the military already vacated several key positions earlier in 2026, including the al-Tanf Garrison and al-Shaddadi base. The withdrawal is expected to align with the completion of U.S. withdrawal plans from Iraq by September 2026.
The United States was a central force behind the ceasefire and integration agreement, actively applying pressure on both the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led SDF throughout the past year to negotiate a deal merging the northeast's political, economic, and security sectors. The U.S. sought stability and internal cohesion among Syrian factions as a precondition for American disengagement from Syria.[1]
The U.S. transferred approximately 150 ISIS fighters from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria to a secure location in Iraq earlier this year, with U.S. officials indicating that thousands more detainees could also be moved. Additionally, the U.S. helped transfer 5,700 ISIS fighters from detention facilities in Syria to Iraqi custody in early February 2026, according to U.S. Central Command.
Yes, U.S. forces will remain prepared to strike ISIS targets even after the full withdrawal from Syria. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Syria's foreign minister to discuss counterterrorism coordination and maintaining the fragile ceasefire, indicating the U.S. will continue monitoring regional threats and coordinating security efforts with the new Syrian government.[2]
History
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