Trump Withdraws US Troops From Syria Over Escalation With Iran

• 19.02.2026, 10:27

Against this backdrop, Washington is increasing its military presence in the Middle East.

The US plans to withdraw the remnants of its military contingent from Syria in the coming months - Damascus no longer needs it as badly as it used to.

A BBC reports this.

According to a senior White House official, Damascus has agreed to take over the fight against terrorism within the country on its own, so an American presence "on this scale" is no longer necessary.

As is known, the US military has been in Syria since 2015 as part of the campaign against the Islamic State group. We are talking about about about a thousand servicemen who remained on the territory of the country.

The decision on their withdrawal, according to the official, is part of the transition process and depends on the fulfillment of certain conditions. At the same time, the US remains ready to respond promptly to possible threats in the region.

It should be noted that against this backdrop, Washington is increasing its military presence in the Middle East due to growing tensions with Iran. The media confirmed the presence of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with missile destroyers and dozens of fighter jets near Iran.

The US has also sent the largest naval ship, the Gerald R. Ford, to the region, which is expected to arrive within three weeks.

The media have already reported that the army the US is preparing a military operation in Iran in the near future.