Skip to main content

Trump administration scrambles to salvage US troop presence in Syria

President Trump says he would leave some US troops in Syria to keep the Assad regime and Iranian forces away from oil fields; the Syrian Democratic Forces commander speaks with both Trump and the Russian army chief of staff.
Boys wave towards a convoy of U.S. vehicles withdrawing from northern Syria, in Erbil, Iraq October 21, 2019. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RC155923AC50
Read in 

President Donald Trump said today that he would leave an undisclosed number of American troops in Syria to keep the Bashar al-Assad regime and Iranian forces away from the war-torn country’s oil fields, as the US tried to court the Syrian Democratic Forces to remain in the Islamic State fight.

The move came as the US president celebrated the expiration of a five-day cease-fire, which the Trump administration hopes to make permanent.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.