US announces full withdrawal from key base in Syria used to fight ISIS

The US military announced on Thursday its complete withdrawal from a strategically vital base in Syria that had served as a frontline hub in the campaign against ISIS since 2014.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it executed an orderly departure from the al-Tanf garrison on February 11, describing the move as part of a “deliberate and conditions-based transition” coordinated by the global counter-ISIS coalition. The decision follows months of internal deliberations and represents the most significant US military repositioning in eastern Syria since the 2019 territorial defeat of the ISIS caliphate.

Al-Tanf sits at the contested tri-border junction of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq a geostrategic crossroads that has made it both a valuable coalition asset and a frequent target for hostile actors. The garrison was attacked in 2024, during the Biden administration, by Iran-backed militias in a drone strike that killed three US service members and wounded dozens more. Those deaths marked one of the deadliest episodes for American forces in Syria in recent years.

Earlier Thursday, Syria’s defense ministry announced that US forces had formally handed over control of the facility and that Syrian troops had begun deploying along the sensitive border zone. The transfer, which had been the subject of quiet diplomatic discussions, signals a recalibration of the US military footprint in Syria even as Washington insists it remains committed to counterterrorism operations.

The drawdown at al-Tanf follows the Trump administration’s earlier announcement that it would begin consolidating US positions in Syria following the 2019 collapse of ISIS’s physical caliphate. That process was repeatedly delayed amid concerns that a premature withdrawal could create a security vacuum, potentially allowing ISIS sleeper cells to reconstitute or enabling Iranian-backed militias to expand their influence along critical supply corridors.

Despite the pullout, CENTCOM emphasized that the United States retains the capacity to strike ISIS targets across the region.

“US forces remain poised to respond to any ISIS threats that arise in the region as we support partner-led efforts to prevent the terrorist network’s resurgence,” CENTCOM commander General Michael “Erik” Kurilla said in a statement.

“Maintaining pressure on ISIS is essential to protecting the US homeland and strengthening regional security,” he added.

The announcement comes amid a sustained US air campaign against ISIS remnants in Syria. Since December, the military has conducted dozens of strikes in retaliation for an ISIS attack that killed two American troops and a civilian interpreter. According to CENTCOM figures, over the past two months US forces have struck more than 100 ISIS targets and captured or killed over 50 operatives.

The withdrawal from al-Tanf does not signal a broader US exit from Syria. Hundreds of American personnel remain deployed in northeastern Syria, operating alongside the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in ongoing counterterrorism missions and guarding oil infrastructure. However, the move is likely to be scrutinized by allies and adversaries alike as an indicator of shifting US priorities in the Middle East, particularly as Washington pivots toward strategic competition with China and Russia.

Critics warn that vacating al-Tanf could undermine leverage with both the Syrian regime and its Iranian backers, while supporters argue the base had become a costly liability whose strategic utility had diminished. The coming months will test whether the coalition’s “conditions-based” approach can prevent the very resurgence it has long sought to avert.

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