The Trump administration will reduce the number of US troops in Syria from around 2,000 to approximately 1,000, officials said Tuesday, in a move signaling a shift in Washington’s military posture across the Middle East.
The Pentagon, which in December acknowledged a larger-than-disclosed troop presence in Syria, will also scale down the number of military bases in the country, according to Al Arabiya English.
A US defense official emphasized that the reduction is part of routine reallocation based on operational needs. “These movements demonstrate the flexible nature of the US global defense posture and our ability to deploy worldwide on short notice to meet evolving security threats,” the official said.
CBS News was the first to report the planned drawdown, which comes amid long-standing US cooperation with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — a relationship seen as central to the fight against ISIS.
While specifics remain unclear, sources say Kurdish forces will continue overseeing prisons housing tens of thousands of ISIS fighters and their families. However, it’s uncertain how continued US support will look with a smaller footprint.
Outside Syria, the US maintains about 2,500 troops in Iraq, 3,500 in Jordan, and nearly 2,000 in Türkiye. It has not been confirmed where the redeployed Syria-based troops will be sent.
In a separate deal with Baghdad, the US had agreed to consolidate its presence in Iraq and reduce troop numbers. However, following Assad’s fall, Iraq has reportedly requested delays in the transition — a matter still under review, according to officials.
Severe drought in Syria this year is threatening about 75% of local wheat crops, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns, risking food shortages for millions.
A major naval operation ended Monday in the Baltic Sea, involving 12 warships and 19 teams of divers and underwater drone operators from 13 NATO countries.
Foreign ministers from member and observer states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) came together in Budapest for a pre-summit meeting held ahead of the organization’s informal summit.
People in Damascus expressed relief and cautious optimism on Tuesday night after the European Union announced it would lift economic sanctions on Syria, following a similar decision by the United States last week.
The US State Department has given the green light for a potential $100 million sale of AW-119Kx helicopters and related equipment to Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to a statement from the Pentagon on Tuesday.
Severe drought in Syria this year is threatening about 75% of local wheat crops, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns, risking food shortages for millions.
A major naval operation ended Monday in the Baltic Sea, involving 12 warships and 19 teams of divers and underwater drone operators from 13 NATO countries.
People in Damascus expressed relief and cautious optimism on Tuesday night after the European Union announced it would lift economic sanctions on Syria, following a similar decision by the United States last week.
Foreign ministers from member and observer states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) came together in Budapest for a pre-summit meeting held ahead of the organization’s informal summit.
The US State Department has given the green light for a potential $100 million sale of AW-119Kx helicopters and related equipment to Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to a statement from the Pentagon on Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on May 15, with discussions reportedly focusing on upcoming peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.
Qatar signed a landmark agreement with U.S. aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday to acquire 160 aircraft for Qatar Airways, a deal valued at $200 billion. The signing took place in Doha during the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Tensions flare in the India-France Rafale deal as France refuses to share the fighter jet’s source code, limiting India’s ability to integrate indigenous weapons and reducing its combat autonomy.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet behind closed doors at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace at 10:00 local time today to explore security guarantees, territorial integrity and a possible ceasefire.
EU approves 17th Russia sanctions, blacklisting almost 200 shadow‑fleet ships, 30 evasion firms and 75 defence figures, banning missile chemicals and arming Brussels to strike Kremlin hybrid and operations.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reaffirmed strong bilateral ties and strategic cooperation ahead of the upcoming Turkic States Summit.
Azerbaijan’s AERA and Moldova’s ANRE signed a memorandum to strengthen cooperation in energy regulation and regional resilience.
During President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to Budapest, Uzbekistan and Hungary agreed on over €1.5 billion in new joint projects and outlined further cooperation in trade, finance, and culture.
Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and advancing cooperation in trade, transport, energy, and regional initiatives.
Severe drought in Syria this year is threatening about 75% of local wheat crops, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns, risking food shortages for millions.
A major naval operation ended Monday in the Baltic Sea, involving 12 warships and 19 teams of divers and underwater drone operators from 13 NATO countries.
People in Damascus expressed relief and cautious optimism on Tuesday night after the European Union announced it would lift economic sanctions on Syria, following a similar decision by the United States last week.
Foreign ministers from member and observer states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) came together in Budapest for a pre-summit meeting held ahead of the organization’s informal summit.
The US State Department has given the green light for a potential $100 million sale of AW-119Kx helicopters and related equipment to Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to a statement from the Pentagon on Tuesday.
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