The United States has completed its withdrawal from a strategic base, the Al-Tanf base, in Syria, handing it over to Syrian forces. The Al-Tanf base sits on a strategic location close to the borders with Jordan and Iraq and has played a major role in the fight against the Islamic State group. While being seen as the latest sign of strengthening US-Syrian ties that could enable an even larger American drawdown, the development comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Although Washington long saw keeping the base as worthwhile, the Donald Trump administration recalculated when relations fundamentally shifted after longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024. Fo the US, the base had become a key foothold in the battle against Iranian influence due to its strategic position along roadways linking Damascus to Tehran.

Syrian government forces have taken control of a base in the east of the country that was run for years by US troops as part of the war against the Islamic State group, the Syrian Defence Ministry said in a statement Thursday. In a terse statement, the Syrian Defence Ministry said the handover of the base took place in coordination with the US military and Syrian forces are now “securing the base and its perimeters.” It said that Syrian troops are now in place in the desert area around the al-Tanf garrison, with border guards to deploy in the coming days.

The US Central Command said in a statement that troops have completed “the orderly departure” from al-Tanf base. It said that the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, established by the US Central Command in 2014, has advised, assisted, and enabled partner forces in the fight against IS. It added that in April last year, the Defence Department announced the US military would begin consolidating its locations in Syria after the territorial defeat of IS almost seven years ago.

“U.S. forces remain poised to respond to any IS threats that arise in the region as we support partner-led efforts to prevent the terrorist network’s resurgence,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “Maintaining pressure on ISIS is essential to protecting the U.S. homeland and strengthening regional security.” The command said that over the past two months, US forces have struck more than 100 targets with over 350 precision munitions while capturing or killing more than 50 IS members.

The deployment of Syrian troops at al-Tanf and in the surrounding areas comes after last month’s deal between the government and the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, to merge into the military.

Al-Tanf garrison was repeatedly attacked over the past years with drones by Iran-backed groups but such attacks have dropped sharply following the fall of Bashar Assad’s government in Syria in December 2024 when insurgent groups marched into his seat of power in Damascus.

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been expanding his control of the country, and last month government forces captured wide parts of northeast Syria after deadly clashes with the SDF. A ceasefire was later reached between the two sides.

Over the past weeks, the US military began transferring thousands of IS prisoners from prisons run by the SDF in northeastern Syria to Iraq, where they will be prosecuted.

The number of US troops posted in Syria has changed over the years. The number of US troops increased to more than 2,000 after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas in Israel, as Iranian-backed militants targeted American troops and interests in the region in response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. The force has since been drawn back down to around 900.

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