US Forces in Syria will be limited to training and support the Syrian government
The US military presence in Syria is heading towards a new phase, focusing on training Syrian government forces and providing logistical support, rather than the direct combat roles that have characterized previous years.
In recent days, the US military has withdrawn from its main base in the town of Shadadi in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah, in a move that the Syrian Ministry of Defense described as in coordination with the US side.
The withdrawal came a few days after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the withdrawal of its forces from the al Tanf base in southeastern Syria, located near the border triangle with Jordan and Iraq, and officially handed them over to the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
According to Jordanian security source, these successive withdrawals have left the United States with only one major military position inside Syrian territory, the Rumailan base near the Iraqi border in Hasakah province.
The same sources revealed that the number of US forces in Syria has witnessed a significant decrease compared to 2024, where it was estimated at about 2,000 troops, without revealing the exact number at the moment.
The new data points to a fundamental shift in the nature of the US mission, as Washington is moving to reduce its role in training the new Syrian government forces and providing logistical support, in a significant change from the previous role, which focused mainly on supporting the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) in the battles against ISIS.
Security sources said that this reduction in military presence also helps reduce the risk of any possible Iranian response, especially in light of the escalation between Washington and Tehran.
The sources added that the United States doesn’t need many bases, which makes it more difficult to defend, referring to a reassessment of a strategy for military deployment in the region.
The sources stressed that Iran shows no signs of diminishing its influence over its proxies in neighboring Iraq, further complicating the security landscape and making the US redeployment a cautious move to avoid direct friction.
