The United States is preparing to establish a military presence at an airbase in Damascus to help facilitate a security pact between Syria and Israel, six sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The initiative, which has not previously been reported, would represent a significant strategic shift following the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad, who was an ally of Iran.
A Western military official said Washington had accelerated preparations in recent months, including reconnaissance missions.
One U.S. administration official told Reuters: “We are constantly evaluating our necessary posture in Syria to effectively combat ISIS … and do not comment on locations or possible locations of where forces operate.”
The airbase, located at the gateway to parts of southern Syria expected to be included in a demilitarised zone under the envisaged Syria–Israel treaty, is central to the talks mediated by the administration of Donald Trump.
Technical discussions between U.S. and Syrian officials have focused on the base’s use for logistics, surveillance, refuelling, and humanitarian operations, while Syria would retain full sovereignty over the facility, two Syrian defence sources said.
It remains unclear when U.S. military personnel will be deployed to the base.
