Despite Israeli pressure, US begins withdrawing troops from Syria

According to a report, the military is shuttering three of its eight small operating bases, reducing troop levels to about 1,400 from 2,000, citing two senior U.S. officials.

According to one official, commanders have advised that at least 500 U.S. troops remain in Syria. However, President Donald Trump has expressed deep skepticism about maintaining any American military presence in the country.

The move aligns with Trump’s longstanding isolationist stance, influenced in part by Vice President J.D. Vance. “This isn’t our war,” Trump has said repeatedly, and the Pentagon has been preparing for the withdrawal for some time.

Israeli officials have opposed the move and made several efforts to prevent it, but were recently informed that those efforts had failed. Despite the setback, Israel’s defense establishment continues to exert pressure on Washington to reconsider or limit the drawdown.

A senior Israeli official estimated that if the withdrawal proceeds, it would likely be only partial—though even that, Israel argues, could destabilize the region. Israeli defense officials fear that a reduced U.S. presence would embolden Turkey, which is openly seeking to expand its control in the area, particularly after the fall of the Assad regime.

American troops are currently deployed in several strategic locations across eastern and northern Syria, where they serve as a stabilizing force. Their withdrawal, Israeli officials warn, could increase Turkey’s ambitions to seize more strategic military assets on the ground.

While the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has reduced several regional threats—such as pro-Iranian militias and Russian troops who once supported his government—the threat from ISIS remains significant, especially in northeastern Syria, where most U.S. forces are stationed.