The United States is preparing to deploy forces to an air base in Damascus as part of a Washington-brokered security agreement between Syria and Israel, six sources familiar with the talks told “Reuters“, News.bg reports.
This would be the first US military presence in the Syrian capital and a sign of the country's strategic reorientation towards the United States after Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally of Iran, was ousted from power last year.
The base, located at the entrance to southern Syria, is expected to play a central role in monitoring a future demilitarized zone envisaged in the non-aggression pact between Israel and Syria. US officials declined to comment on the specific location due to security concerns.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump will host Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa at the White House - the first such visit by a Syrian leader.
Western and Syrian military sources confirmed that the Pentagon has accelerated preparations in recent months, including through reconnaissance operations and test landings of C-130 transport planes. The runway is now ready for use. According to Syrian officials, the talks cover logistical, observation and humanitarian tasks, with Syria retaining full sovereignty over the site.
The planned presence is part of a broader US strategy to monitor processes in the region, including in Lebanon and Israel, where compliance with the ceasefire with “Hezbollah“ is being monitored. and “Hamas“.
The United States already maintains a military presence in northeastern Syria in support of Kurdish forces against “Islamic State“. In April, the Pentagon announced that the force there would be halved to about 1,000 troops.
Sharaa said that any American deployment would be coordinated with the new government in Damascus, which is considering joining the US-led international coalition against ISIS.
According to sources, the decision on the joint base was discussed during a visit by Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, to Damascus on September 12. Washington is pushing for a deal between Syria and Israel to be finalized by the end of the year.