The Pentagon has confirmed a major reduction in U.S. forces stationed in Syria. A move in line with President Donald Trump’s longstanding position that the United States should steer clear of foreign entanglements and endless wars.
Defense officials said the decision reflects strategic progress in dismantling the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group and a broader recalibration of American military commitments abroad.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced on April 18 that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a “deliberate and conditions-based” reduction of U.S. troops in Syria.
According to Parnell, the force will be brought down to under 1,000 troops over the coming months. The Department of Defense is referring to the move as a consolidation of forces to select locations within Syria.
“This consolidation reflects the significant steps we have made toward degrading ISIS’s appeal and operational capability regionally and globally,” Parnell said. “U.S. Central Command will remain poised to continue strikes against the remnants of ISIS in Syria.”
U.S. forces first entered Syria during the Obama administration to combat ISIS after the terror group seized vast territory in Syria and Iraq. That effort evolved into Operation Inherent Resolve, with a reported 900 troops maintaining a presence in Syria for years. However, by late 2024, the Pentagon revealed that temporary deployments had pushed that number closer to 2,000.
The current drawdown marks a significant reversal in U.S. engagement, coming months after Islamist-led rebel factions ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in a rapid December 2024 offensive.
Assad’s collapse triggered a power shift in the region, with the al-Qaeda-linked Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham capturing Damascus and declaring a new interim government. The group’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa—formerly known by his jihadist alias Abu Mohammad al-Jolani—has since attempted to rebrand as a statesman.
While the U.S. still officially designates Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist organization, the Biden and Trump administrations have each extended diplomatic overtures to the group since Assad’s fall. Washington even endorsed a proposal to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, longtime U.S. partners, into the new government.
President Trump has made clear that while ISIS remains a concern, America’s role in Syria must end. “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, and THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT,” he wrote on Truth Social in December. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.”
Despite the drawdown, the Pentagon insists that U.S. forces will maintain strike capabilities and continue working with coalition partners to prevent any resurgence of ISIS. At the same time, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that Israeli forces will indefinitely maintain their presence in security zones established within Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza.
As Washington pivots away from direct involvement in Syria, it is also preparing to wind down its military mission in Iraq. Officials have confirmed that U.S. troops will exit federal Iraq by the end of 2025 and withdraw from the Kurdistan region by September 2026.
For Americans weary of endless foreign wars, the Syria drawdown is a clear signal that the administration is keeping its word: bringing troops home and putting American interests first.