US pulls forces from Syria as new government exerts control

Kate Sullivan, Bloomberg News on Feb 18, 2026

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The Trump administration is withdrawing forces from Syria as part of a strategic shift now that the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa is taking control of the fight against terror groups, according to a senior U.S. official.

A significant U.S. troop presence is no longer required in Syria, according to the official who detailed the decision on condition of anonymity, but the Trump administration is ready to respond to Islamic State threats in the region. Some U.S. personnel are leaving as part of a transition process.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Wednesday that the U.S. was in the process of withdrawing all of the estimated 1,000 troops it maintains in Syria. The Journal cited three American officials it didn’t identify.

Spokespeople for the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command declined to comment.

Last week, the Syrian army took control of the Al-Tanf military base from U.S. troops, ending an American military presence that lasted for a decade at a key site in the country’s southeast. Al-Sharaa agreed to join the U.S.-led coalition to defeat ISIS, earning American sanctions relief and backing to take over Kurdish-controlled northeastern areas.

At the same time, the Islamic State still retains a presence in the country. ISIS carried out an attack that killed two U.S. Army soldiers and an interpreter in Palmyra, Syria, in December, and U.S. forces have struck more than 100 targets while capturing or killing more than 50 ISIS militants over the past two months.

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