The United States is planning to withdraw all its remaining troops from Syria, ending the American military’s decade-long presence in the Arab nation. According to CBS News, there are around 1,000 US troops in Syria, who will be withdrawn over the next two months.
US deployed troops in Syria in 2015
The US, under the then-president Barack Obama, had deployed ground troops in Syria, in 2015 where they partnered with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the country’s northeast to fight against the Islamic State (IS).
During the height of the fight against IS in 2017, the US had roughly 2,000 to 2,500 ground troops deployed in Syria.
The SDF controlled large portions of northeastern Syria for years amid the Syrian civil war.
Syria after Bashar al-Assad
IS was largely defeated in 2019, and the security situation in Syria has also changed following the fall of the long-time dictator, Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted from power in late 2024.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda-linked militant leader who led the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which overthrew the al-Assad government, has since assumed power in Syria as the country’s new president.
Many Western leaders who had initially expressed skepticism over al-Sharaa’s past have, however, since expressed willingness to work with him. This includes US President Donald Trump, who in November 2025 hosted him in Washington, making al-Sharaa the first Syrian leader in history to visit the White House.
In January 2026, the Syrian government forces under al-Sharaa scored a major victory against the SDF, which lost roughly 80% of the territory it once held, including strategic cities like Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor.
The US did not come to the aid of the SDF and instead recognized the Syrian transitional government as its main partner in the fight against IS, dealing a major blow to the rebels.
IS still a threat
While the security situation in Syria has improved, IS sleeper cells continue to remain a challenge for the al-Sharaa government.
In December 2025, two members of the Iowa National Guard and a translator were killed in an ambush attack by an IS gunman, who had infiltrated the Syrian forces.
The Trump administration responded with Operation Hawkeye Strike, which targeted IS bases across Syria.
Earlier this month, the US. helped transfer 5,700 ISIS fighters from detention facilities in Syria to Iraqi custody due to safety concerns.
Earlier this year, it was also reported that US troops had departed the al Tanf garrison in southern Syria and the al Shaddadi base in the country’s northeast as part of the planned drawdown.
Currently, there are around US 1,000 troops left in Syria at Rmelan near the Iraqi border.
While ground troops are departing, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has indicated it will maintain the capability to conduct airstrikes against ISIS remnants if necessary.
The withdrawal of the US troops from Syria also comes at a time when Washington is ramping up its military presence in Iran in response to the violent crackdown on mass protests by the Islamic Republic’s security forces.
