The United States is set to withdraw all its remaining troops from Syria, concluding a military presence that has lasted nearly a decade. As reported by CBS News, approximately 1,000 U.S. troops currently stationed in Syria will be pulled out over the next two months.

The deployment of U.S. ground troops in Syria began in 2015 under then-President Barack Obama, with forces partnering with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeastern part of the country. Their joint mission aimed to combat the rising threat of the Islamic State (IS), which had gained significant ground in the region.

During the peak of the anti-IS campaign in 2017, the U.S. troop count in Syria ranged from 2,000 to 2,500. The SDF managed to maintain control over substantial areas of northeastern Syria for years, despite the devastation wrought by the ongoing civil war.

With IS’s territorial losses culminating in their defeat in 2019, the security landscape in Syria has evolved. The fall of long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad in late 2024 led to significant political shifts, with Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda-linked militant leader, seizing power as the new president.

International leaders, who had initially voiced skepticism regarding al-Sharaa's past, have shown increasing openness to collaboration with him. Notably, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted al-Sharaa in Washington in November 2025, marking a historic visit by a Syrian leader to the White House.

In January 2026, Syrian government forces under al-Sharaa achieved a decisive victory over the SDF, with the rebels losing around 80% of their territory, including key cities such as Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. This strategic shift altered U.S. policy as Washington began recognizing the Syrian transitional government as its primary ally against IS, leaving the SDF without vital support.

While the overall security situation in Syria has improved, IS sleeper cells remain a persistent threat, as highlighted by a December 2025 incident that saw two members of the Iowa National Guard and a translator ambushed by an infiltrating IS gunman. The Trump administration's response, dubbed Operation Hawkeye Strike, targeted IS bases across the country.

The U.S. has recently facilitated the transfer of 5,700 ISIS fighters from detention centers in Syria to Iraqi authorities, addressing safety concerns amid the ongoing withdrawal. Earlier this year, U.S. troops completed their exit from the al Tanf garrison in southern Syria and the al Shaddadi base in the northeast as part of the broader drawdown strategy.

With the remaining U.S. forces concentrated in the Rmelan area near the Iraqi border, the withdrawal marks a significant shift in American foreign policy in the region after years of military engagement.