The United States is preparing to establish a military presence at an airbase in Damascus as part of efforts to support a potential security pact between Syria and Israel, six sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The plan marks a major strategic shift for Syria following the fall of former leader Bashar al-Assad last year and signals deepening U.S.-Syrian cooperation under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The airbase, whose exact location has not been disclosed for security reasons, is situated near southern Syria, an area expected to form part of a demilitarized buffer zone under the proposed non-aggression deal mediated by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Trump is scheduled to host President Sharaa at the White House on Monday, in what would be the first visit by a Syrian head of state to Washington.
The meeting is expected to focus on the U.S.-brokered peace initiative between Syria and Israel as well as Syria’s reintegration into the regional and international order.
According to two Western officials and a Syrian defense source, U.S. forces plan to use the Damascus base for logistics, surveillance, refueling, and humanitarian operations, while Syria will retain full sovereignty over the facility.
A Western military official said the Pentagon has conducted multiple reconnaissance missions in recent months and determined that the base’s runway is operational and ready for immediate use.
A Syrian defense official told Reuters that U.S. C-130 transport aircraft have already landed at the site to test the runway.
“Work is underway to transfer the partnerships and understandings made with provisional entities to Damascus,” Syria’s state news agency SANA reported, citing a foreign ministry source, though it dismissed aspects of the Reuters report as “false” without elaboration.
The Pentagon declined to confirm or deny the planned deployment, saying only that the U.S. “constantly evaluates our necessary posture in Syria to effectively combat ISIS,” and would not comment on specific locations.
The development comes as the U.S. pursues several regional monitoring efforts, including one in Lebanon to oversee the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel and another in Israel to monitor the truce with Hamas.
The new Damascus initiative would mark the third such U.S. presence tied to Trump-era peace arrangements.
Syria, meanwhile, is expected to formally join the U.S.-led global coalition against Islamic State in the coming weeks, according to officials from both countries.
The idea of a U.S. role in Damascus was reportedly discussed during a September 12 visit by Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack, who met President Sharaa in Damascus.
CENTCOM later issued a statement thanking Sharaa for Syria’s contribution to the anti-ISIS campaign and expressing optimism for “a stable Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors.”
While Washington hopes to finalize the Syria-Israel pact by the end of the year, diplomatic sources cautioned that negotiations remain delicate. “The U.S. is pressing Damascus to reach a deal before Sharaa’s visit to Washington,” a Syrian official familiar with the talks said.
If confirmed, the planned U.S. presence at the Damascus airbase would represent one of the most significant shifts in Middle Eastern geopolitics since Syria’s realignment away from Iran, and a dramatic step in Trump’s bid to reshape the post-war regional order.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
