- February 12, 2026
- 11:35 am
- Middle East
The United States has withdrawn its contingent from the Al-Tanf base in southeastern Syria. According to Reuters, the military has been relocated to Jordan, and the facility itself has been handed over to the Syrian Ministry of Defense. Following this, units of the 54th Division began deployment around the perimeter.
The decision appears to be pivotal for the entire security architecture at the junction of Syria, Iraq, and Jordan. The area has remained a point of intersection for the interests of Washington, Damascus, Moscow, and Jerusalem for years.
Why this base was key
The Al-Tanf garrison has been used by the international coalition led by the US since the middle of the last decade. The site near the border provided a rare advantage β control over the crossroads of routes through which people, weapons, and contraband moved.
Before the coalition’s arrival, this territory was held by Islamic State. After the jihadists were ousted, the base became an element of a new deterrence system.
Several tasks were simultaneously addressed here.
What functions the garrison performed
The military spoke of combating residual ISIS cells.
The intelligence community focused on monitoring the land corridor connecting Iran with Syria and Lebanon.
Additionally, a training center for Maghawir al-Thawra fighters operated on the site, around which political debates had been ongoing for years.
At any given time, there were between one hundred and two hundred American servicemen at the facility. A 55-kilometer deconfliction zone was established around it β a rare example of lines on a map actually working.
Rukban, diplomacy, and years of pressure
Nearby was the Rukban refugee camp. Its humanitarian fate constantly surfaced in negotiations, human rights reports, and mutual accusations by the parties.
Moscow consistently demanded the US withdrawal. For Russian diplomacy, Al-Tanf symbolized the unfinished war and foreign presence.
Nevertheless, the base remained even after Donald Trump announced a reduction in American military involvement in Syria in 2018. At that time, the argument was simple: the point was needed to track arms supplies posing a threat to Israel.
This Israeli aspect was regularly discussed by analysts when assessing why to maintain a relatively small garrison in the middle of the desert.
In the Israeli expert community, publications on this topic were often cited by journalists working for NAnews β Israel News | Nikk.Agency, as it concerned the direct impact of the Syrian track on the security of the northern borders.
Why Washington decided now
The change in the power configuration in Syria, the weakening of the Iranian presence, and the formal involvement of new Syrian structures in the anti-terrorist coalition altered the calculation. If tasks can be accomplished from the air, the need to keep people on the ground decreases.
Strikes on ISIS can be launched from Jordanian territory. Logistics are simpler, risks are lower.
But there is no consensus.
What security experts say
Some analysts consider the withdrawal pragmatic. Fewer points of vulnerability, fewer expenses, fewer chances of direct confrontation between major players.
Others speak of a vacuum. Any abandoned territory is quickly filled by those with more motivation and fewer constraints.
In Israeli discussions, another motive is voiced: observation is always better than the absence of observation. Even a small garrison at the crossroads of routes creates a factor of uncertainty for opponents.
Therefore, many interpret the American withdrawal as a strategic loss not only for the US but also for the regional threat warning system.
What next
The transfer of the facility to the Syrian military is just the beginning of a new phase. The real significance will depend on who exactly and how control over the adjacent roads is established.
Questions remain about the fate of former coalition allies who operated in this zone. Their future is a separate topic of negotiations.
The region rarely remains static. Shifts in power almost always lead to unforeseen consequences.
Al-Tanf has been a point of pressure, bargaining, and flag demonstration for many years. Now it becomes a test: can the new configuration provide the same level of security without the US presence on the ground.
