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U.S. to Reduce Forces in Syria

(The War Zone) Howard Altman - U.S. forces in Syria are mostly based in the northeast with the stated mission of continuing the fight against ISIS. There is also a base in southern Syria, Al-Tanf, located along the borders of Jordan and Iraq. The way forward for a drawdown was created by the overthrow last December of dictator Bashar Al-Assad. The U.S. military and intelligence communities have "established a fruitful relationship" with the new Syrian government, including sharing intelligence that helped take out "multiple senior ISIS leaders and foiling 9 major urban plots," said Charles Lister, Director of the Middle East Institute's Syria Program. However, a senior Israel Defense Forces officer said Wednesday, "The U.S. presence in northeastern Syria has functioned...also as a geostrategic buffer constraining Iranian entrenchment west of the Euphrates. A reduction in this presence will likely carry profound strategic consequences for Israel." The reduction in U.S. troop presence in Syria "would create operational space for Iranian proxies, particularly the IRGC and Hizbullah, to solidify logistical corridors through Syria - part of Tehran's broader objective to establish a contiguous axis of influence from Iran to the Mediterranean." "This could require an intensification of Israeli kinetic operations across Syrian territory, including strategic interdicts on weapons transfers, Quds Force deployments, and the construction of forward-operating infrastructure near the Golan Heights." Middle East analyst Mohammed Albasha said, "Any time the U.S. reduces its footprint in the Middle East, Iran sees it as a win - consistent with its long-standing goal of pushing the U.S. out of the region."
2025-04-20 00:00:00
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