Washington, United States. The U.S. military said it completed a withdrawal from the al-Tanf base in Syria on Thursday, handing it over to Syrian forces. Syria’s Defence Ministry said government forces took control of the garrison following coordination with U.S. authorities.
Strategic location and origins
The al-Tanf garrison is positioned at the tri-border confluence of Syria, Jordan and Iraq. Established during Syria’s civil war in 2014, the United States initially used it as a hub for operations by the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State militants who once controlled large areas in Iraq and Syria before being defeated in 2019.
Role in countering Iranian influence
The base later became a key foothold in efforts to counter Iranian influence because of its position along roadways linking Damascus to Tehran. Washington had long seen keeping the base as worthwhile, but the Trump administration reassessed after longtime Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024.
Shift in U.S.-Syrian ties and coalition cooperation
Syria joined the coalition battling the remnants of Islamic State last November, when President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander, visited the White House for talks with President Donald Trump.
Concerns about Syrian capacity
David Adesnik at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think-tank in Washington questioned Syrian forces’ ability to assume responsibilities after the U.S. departure. “And the Syrian army has incorporated thousands of ex-jihadists,” Adesnik said.
He said the mission at al-Tanf had also served as an obstacle to the operations of Iran and its proxies, who ship weapons across Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon. “This is an own goal,” Adesnik said.
What do you think the U.S. withdrawal from al-Tanf could mean for security operations in the region?