The US intends to deploy troops at an airfield near Damascus to enforce a possible security agreement between Syria and Israel, Reuters reported Thursday, citing multiple sources in the region and in the West. The report comes ahead of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa's expected visit to the White House next week, where he will meet US President Donald Trump — the first such meeting in history between a Syrian leader and an American president.
The planned troop deployment is seen as evidence of the warming ties between Washington and the new Syrian regime. According to Reuters, the base is located near areas in southern Syria that Israel is demanding be demilitarized as part of a security agreement that would replace the 1974 disengagement accords, which collapsed following the fall of the Assad regime.
A US official told Reuters that Washington is "regularly reviewing the presence required in Syria to effectively combat ISIS," adding that the administration does not comment on current or potential operational deployments. The official requested that the location and name of the base not be disclosed for security reasons.
A Western military source said the Pentagon had accelerated planning over the past two months and had already conducted several site visits, concluding that the runway was ready for immediate use by US forces. Two Syrian military officials said discussions with the Americans had focused on using the base for logistical purposes, intelligence gathering, refueling, and humanitarian operations, and that Syria would retain full control of the facility.
A Syrian security source told Reuters that US Hercules aircraft had already landed at the site to test the runway. It remains unclear when American troops might be deployed to the base.
US presence, with coordination
Reuters connected the planned base to US monitoring headquarters for cease-fire agreements in Lebanon and Gaza. Currently, US troops are stationed in northeastern Syria to support Kurdish militias fighting ISIS. In April, the Pentagon announced it would halve its troop presence there to just 1,000 personnel.
President al-Sharaa has previously stated that any US military presence in Syria must be coordinated with the new regime. Both US and Syrian officials told Reuters that Syria would soon formally join the anti-ISIS coalition — the same terrorist organization al-Sharaa had once been part of, before breaking away to form a rival group.
A source familiar with the talks said the issue of military presence at the Damascus base was raised during meetings held in Damascus in September with CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper. In a statement on the visit, CENTCOM said Cooper and US special envoy to Syria Tom Barak met with al-Sharaa and thanked him for his contribution to the fight against ISIS, calling it a step toward realizing "President Trump's vision of a prosperous Middle East and a stable Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors." The statement did not mention Israel.
The US had hoped to announce a security agreement between Israel and Syria during the UN General Assembly in September, but the talks reportedly hit "last-minute" obstacles, according to Reuters. A Syrian source involved in the negotiations said Washington is pressuring Damascus to reach a deal by the end of the year, possibly even before al-Sharaa's trip to Washington.
