U.S. officials expect troops to withdraw from the remaining positions within two months, according to the report.
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Published February 18, 2026
The US is preparing to withdraw about 1,000 troops remaining in Syria, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing three US officials.
Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify Wednesday’s report.
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US forces confirmed last week that they had withdrawn from al-Tanf base in southern Syria near the Iraq-Jordan border.
The base served as a key base for operations by the Global Coalition Against ISIL (ISIS), which at the time controlled large swathes of Syria and Iraq, until suffering significant losses in 2017.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said last week’s “orderly departure” was “part of an intentional and conditional transition.”
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal suggested that a broader withdrawal of US troops from Syria would unfold over the next two months. President Donald Trump’s administration has been considering a complete withdrawal since at least January.
The decision to withdraw troops from Syria amid rising tensions with Iran is unrelated to the ongoing U.S. naval and air force buildup elsewhere in the Middle East, according to officials cited in the Wall Street Journal.
The Trump administration has threatened military action against Iran in recent weeks in response to its crackdown on anti-government protesters and dissatisfaction with ongoing nuclear negotiations.
As part of these threats, the United States is increasing its military presence in areas near Iran. A second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is currently en route to the area.
US mediated agreement
Rather, U.S. officials said in a Wall Street Journal report that the withdrawal was part of a deal aimed at rebuilding Syria’s security architecture and consolidating state power after years of divide and rule.
The agreement provides for the integration of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the United States’ main partner in the fight against ISIL, into the Syrian army.
U.S. officials have cast the agreement as an important step toward national unity and reconciliation after years of divided leadership in Syria.
The deal comes in the wake of renewed pressure from Syrian government forces to reassert control of areas previously outside Damascus’s control under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, particularly northeastern Syria, where the SDF is based.
Government forces then engaged in deadly clashes with the SDF, seizing large swaths of Kurdish-held territory, raising concerns that the conflict could escalate.
The U.S.-backed deal, reached on January 29, created a fragile ceasefire and paved the way for negotiations leading to the integration of the two militaries.
