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U.S. Completes Withdrawal from Key Syrian Base, Shifts Regional Strategy
Al-Tanf Garrison, Syria – The U.S. military has officially completed its withdrawal of American forces from al-Tanf Garrison in Syria, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Thursday. The departure, finalized on February 11th, marks a significant shift in the U.S. posture in the region as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition mission launched in 2014 to counter ISIS.
American troops have maintained a limited presence in Syria to support partner forces and prevent the resurgence of ISIS, which was territorially defeated in 2019. Following the U.S. withdrawal, Syria’s Defense Ministry reported that government forces have taken control of the al-Tanf base and initiated deployments along the country’s borders with Iraq and Jordan, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency. The ministry stated that the handover was coordinated with U.S. officials, with Syrian Arab Army units securing the base and surrounding areas in the tri-border desert region.
This development comes after a Pentagon decision in April 2025 to scale back and consolidate U.S. forces in Syria. Caroline Rose, director of the Crime-Conflict Nexus and Military Withdrawals portfolios at the New Lines Institute, highlighted the strategic importance of al-Tanf.
She noted that the garrison was crucial for intelligence gathering and access along Syria’s borders with Jordan and Iraq. “This was not only pivotal during the U.S.-led Coalition to defeat the Islamic State, where there was a threat of cross-border offensives and violence, but also proved key to U.S. deterrence efforts against Iran-backed militia networks that operated in Iraq and Syria,” Rose explained.
Rose further suggested that the U.S. pullout from al-Tanf signals Washington’s confidence in the current state of the counter-ISIS fight and the defeat of Iran-aligned proxy networks, alongside Syrian security integration efforts with the Syrian Democratic Forces. However, she also pointed out that the departure could be viewed as a setback for Jordan, which has relied on the U.S. presence at al-Tanf to deter adversarial actors in the region.
Despite the withdrawal, CENTCOM emphasized that U.S. forces remain prepared to counter ISIS threats. In the past two months, American forces have conducted over 100 strikes in the region and captured or killed more than four dozen ISIS fighters.
This change in posture closely follows the transfer of 150 ISIS fighters from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq just weeks prior. Officials indicated in late January that thousands more detainees could also be moved as part of a broader effort to maintain long-term security in the region.
In a significant move, Syria became the 90th member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November. Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, stated that Damascus, under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, is prepared to assume security responsibilities, including control of ISIS detention facilities and camps, following the 2024 ouster of Bashar al-Assad.