According to the Wall Street Journal, the US is currently removing its forces from Syria. American forces occupied large parts of Syria for over a decade.
Three officials told the outlet that the 1,000 soldiers in Syria were in the process of withdrawing. The officials claimed that the decision to remove troops from Syria is not related to the military buildup in the Middle East targeting Iran.
However, the US has deployed forces in the Middle East to positions easier to defend from Iranian missiles. If the US attacks Iran, Tehran has threatened to retaliate by targeting US forces in the region.
The officials told the Wall Street Journal that the withdrawal occurred because the White House had determined the troops were no longer needed. The US maintained the occupation of Syria after the fall of the Islamic State because President Bashar al-Assad was allied with Iran.
In late 2024, Syrian forces were overrun by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and Assad fled the country. The leader of HTS, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, seized power in Damascus. Jolani is a former ISIS commander and the founder of the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
After taking power, Jolani changed his name to Ahmed al-Sharaa and was embraced by Washington. The US has removed sanctions on Syria. Additionally, Washington pushed its allies in Syria to integrate into Jolani’s government.
