ALBAWABA- The United States has completed its withdrawal from the Al-Tanf military base in southeastern Syria, closing a nearly 10-year chapter in its campaign against the Islamic State group and signaling a broader strategic repositioning in the region.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on February 11, 2026, that the pullout was conducted in an “organized and deliberate” manner as part of a conditional transition to realign American forces.
Syrian military sources confirmed that US troops and equipment departed the site in convoys crossing into Jordan, relocating to the Tower 22 base approximately 22 kilometers away. Syrian Arab Army units reportedly moved in to assume control within hours.
Established in 2016 near the tri-border area of Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, Al-Tanf served as a key hub for coalition operations allegedly against ISIS. The base hosted an estimated 200 to 300 US personnel alongside allied Syrian opposition fighters and operated within a 55-kilometer de-confliction zone.
It also played a strategic role in monitoring and disrupting Iranian-linked supply routes stretching from Tehran to the Mediterranean. often described as a regional “land bridge.”
The withdrawal comes amid shifting political and security dynamics in Syria and neighboring Iraq. In January 2026, Baghdad and Washington agreed to phase out the anti-ISIS coalition’s mission, paving the way for expanded Iraq-Syria security coordination.
Former US-backed local Arab forces have since been integrated into Syria’s Interior Ministry, reflecting Damascus’s efforts to consolidate control over previously contested territories.
Al-Tanf has long been a flashpoint in US-Iran tensions. Iran-backed militias have repeatedly targeted US positions in the area, including a January 2024 drone strike on Tower 22 that killed three American soldiers. The latest move coincides with ongoing indirect US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman and broader US efforts to recalibrate its regional military footprint.
Pentagon officials said the repositioning preserves US capabilities to counter remaining ISIS cells and monitor Iranian activities, while reducing exposure to direct confrontation. The shift could lower the risk of escalation, but may also reshape the balance of influence in southeastern Syria.
