The United States plans to significantly reduce its military footprint in Syria, cutting the number of deployed troops to fewer than 1,000 in the coming months, the Pentagon announced on Friday.
American forces have maintained a presence in Syria for several years as part of international efforts to combat the Islamic State (IS) group, which emerged during the country’s civil war and seized large territories in both Syria and Iraq over a decade ago. Although IS has been largely defeated, remnants of the group remain active and continue to pose a threat.
“Today the secretary of defense directed the consolidation of US forces in Syria… to select locations,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. He did not disclose where these consolidations would occur.
“This deliberate and conditions-based process will bring the US footprint in Syria down to less than 1,000 US forces in the coming months,” Parnell added.
He assured that despite the troop reduction, “US Central Command will remain poised to continue strikes against the remnants of (IS) in Syria.”
Former President Donald Trump, who has long questioned the need for US involvement in Syria, previously ordered a troop withdrawal during his first term, though some forces remained. After Islamist-led rebels launched a rapid offensive last December and ultimately overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Trump reiterated his stance that the US should not be entangled in Syria’s affairs.
“Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social while serving as president-elect. “NOT GET INVOLVED!” he added.
Years of Conflict Against IS
The rise of IS in 2014 prompted a US-led coalition to launch an air campaign in support of ground forces, including the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Iraqi military units. American troops were also deployed to advise, train, and assist local forces, and in some cases, engaged in direct combat against IS fighters.
Iraq declared victory over IS in December 2017, while the SDF declared the defeat of the so-called caliphate in March 2019 after capturing the group’s last stronghold in Syria. However, IS still maintains a presence in rural areas of both countries.
Following the fall of Assad’s regime, Washington intensified operations against IS in Syria but later shifted focus to countering Yemen’s Huthi rebels, who have attacked international maritime targets since 2023.
US forces stationed in Syria and Iraq also faced frequent attacks from Iranian-backed militias, particularly after the Gaza conflict erupted in October 2023. In response, the US launched retaliatory strikes, eventually curbing the wave of assaults.
Though the Pentagon had previously reported about 900 troops in Syria, a December 2024 update revealed the number had surged to around 2,000 earlier that year. The latest plan will now reduce that figure by roughly half.
In parallel, Iraq has called for an end to the US-led coalition’s mission on its soil. The US has about 2,500 troops in Iraq. Both countries have agreed to conclude coalition operations in federal Iraq by the end of 2025 and in the Kurdistan region by September 2026.
