US to Withdraw All Troops From Syria Within 2 Months
FILE - A soldier waves a Syrian flag amid celebrations a day after Syrian government troops took control of Raqqa from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), at Al-Naeem roundabout in central Raqqa, northeastern Syria, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed, File)
America’s relatively low-profile presence in Syria is set to change. U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that all roughly 1,000 American troops remaining in the country will be withdrawn over the next two months, ending a decade-long mission against the Islamic State. Some positions along the Syria-Jordan-Iraq border and in northeast Syria have already been vacated. The Pentagon described the drawdown as “conditions-based” and said it could be reversed if ISIS reemerges. U.S. forces have been in Syria since 2015 to counter ISIS activity, according to the BBC.
The withdrawal shifts significant responsibility to President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government, which overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2024. Under a fragile U.S.-backed truce, it has integrated the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into its military. The new arrangement raises concerns for some U.S. and international officials, who cite the presence of jihadist sympathizers and alleged war criminals in Sharaa’s forces, as well as a December insider attack that killed two American soldiers and an interpreter.
The U.S. administration says it will rely more on diplomacy and regional partners while retaining the ability to strike ISIS from outside Syria, according to the Hill. Officials emphasize that the pullout is separate from the U.S. military buildup near Iran, even as Washington deploys a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, toward Iranian waters.
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