US Military Presence in Damascus

By Suha Abrahim 

The US is planning to establish a military presence at a Damascus airbase to enable security agreements between Israel and Syria. Mediated by the US, the base is expected to make up a demilitarized zone between Israel and Syria. The US already has troop presence in eastern Syria to back the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Syrian military forces have stated that the base will be used for surveillance, refueling, logistics, and humanitarian operations and Syria would have full control over the base. 

With the fall of the Assad regime in December of 2024, Ahmed al-Sharaa has taken over as the transitional president of Syria. Sharaa has succeeded in forming ties with the West and other international players like Turkey. Trump and Sharaa are expected to meet at the White House on Monday, this would be the first visit by a Syrian head of state. The US is consistently evaluating its stance in Syria to combat IS and Sharaa has stated any troop presence in the country should be approved by the new Syrian state.