US pulls out of strategic military base and hands it over to Syria
Syria says its forces have taken over al-Tanf base, ending an American military presence that lasted for more than a decade
The US military said it completed a withdrawal from a strategic base in Syria on Thursday, handing it over to Syrian forces, in the latest sign of strengthening US Syrian ties that could enable an even larger American drawdown.
The al-Tanf garrison is positioned at the tri-border confluence of Syria, Jordan and Iraq.
Established during Syria’s civil war in 2014, the United States initially relied on it as a hub for operations by the US-led coalition against Islamic State militants who once controlled a vast swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria before being defeated in 2019.
But the base became a key foothold in a battle against Iranian influence due to its strategic position along roadways linking Damascus to Tehran. Although Washington long saw keeping the base as worthwhile, the Trump administration recalculated when relations fundamentally shifted after longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024.
Syria joined the coalition battling the remnants of Islamic State last November when President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander, visited the White House for talks with President Donald Trump.