The United States has completed a handover of all its major military bases in Syria as it winds down a more than decade-long presence in the country to fight the terror group Islamic State, or ISIS.
A Syrian foreign ministry statement said Thursday that U.S. forces had finished handing over all military sites where Americans had been based. The U.S. military’s Central Command said it had “completed turning over all of our major bases in Syria.”
The statements signal the end of a formal U.S. military presence in Syria. Syria said this reflects its “assumption of full responsibility for combating terrorism and addressing regional threats on its territory.”
A U.S. military official said American forces are entering a new phase of military cooperation in Syria without permanent outposts. It will likely entail training, advising, intelligence and possibly logistics support for Syrian security forces, especially in operations to combat the Islamic State, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.
The U.S. Central Command statement said “U.S. forces continue to support partner-led counterterrorism efforts, which are essential to ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS and strengthening regional security.”
For President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria, the pullout is a political win as his government tries to consolidate full control over the country after the end of a fractious civil war. Syria under Mr. al-Sharaa has been trying to present itself as a partner to the international community rather than a pariah state.
The gradual U.S. pullout from Syria began a year ago when the military shuttered three of its eight small operating bases in the country’s northeast after President Trump expressed deep skepticism about keeping any troops in the country.
But for months, it was not clear whether U.S. forces would leave Syria entirely.
The pullout followed more than a year of dramatic changes in Syria, which led the Trump administration to reassess its presence there along with its relationship with the new Syrian leadership.
After the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Washington established diplomatic relations with the new government led by Mr. al-Sharaa, an Islamist former rebel leader.
In November, President Trump welcomed Mr. al-Sharaa at the White House, the first such visit by any Syrian head of state. That same month the country joined the U.S.-led coalition to combat the Islamic State.
The U.S. military first arrived in Syria in 2015 to fight the Islamic State, which at that time had taken over large areas of Syria and neighboring Iraq. The military partnered with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, established bases across parts of northeast Syria and carried out hundreds of airstrikes against Islamic State militants.
Syria’s foreign ministry said the Syrian government was now fully capable of leading counterterrorism efforts from within, with the cooperation of the international community.
The Islamic State remains a threat in Syria, especially in the east and in the country’s desert where sleeper cells are believed to hide out.
In February, the Islamic State released an audio message, attributed to its spokesman, calling on supporters to carry out attacks and not to stop because of the country’s change in leadership. It accused the government of being under U.S. influence, calling Mr. al-Sharaa a “puppet.”
In December, a gunman who the Syrian government said was affiliated with the Islamic State attacked and killed two U.S. National Guard soldiers and an American interpreter near Palmyra, a city in central Syria. In response, the U.S. carried out airstrikes against suspected Islamic State targets.
Reham Mourshed and Eric Schmitt contributed reporting.
Raja Abdulrahim reports on the Middle East and is based in Jerusalem.
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