US Senate moves to curb Pentagon’s ability to withdraw troops from Syria

WASHINGTON, D.C. — US Senate lawmakers are seeking to impose new restrictions on the Department of Defense’s ability to reduce the number of American troops stationed in Syria, aiming to prevent a rushed withdrawal during the country’s sensitive transitional period.

According to a report by Al-Monitor, the 2026 Defense Appropriations Bill includes a provision requiring the Pentagon to obtain Congressional approval before implementing any plans to decrease or reposition forces in Syria. Under the proposed legislation, the Secretary of Defense would need to certify to Congressional committees that any troop reduction would not undermine the US mission to “defeat the Islamic State (ISIS).”

The bill, approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee, also mandates a detailed report from the Secretary of Defense outlining potential operational shortfalls that could result from troop reductions, including impacts on assistance, training, and support for US-allied local forces in North and East Syria.

This move is widely viewed as a response to former President Donald Trump’s repeated attempts to scale back the US military presence in Syria — a policy that raised concerns about creating a security vacuum that extremist groups could exploit, particularly after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime late last year.

Previously, US Central Command had received White House approval to reduce troop levels in Syria to fewer than one thousand by the end of this year, consolidating forces at a single base in Hasakah, North and East Syria. However, the new provision would subject such plans to strict Congressional oversight, requiring proof that any drawdown would still align with US strategic objectives in the region.

If enacted, this legislation would introduce an additional layer of oversight over Washington’s Syria policy at a time when the country faces mounting security and humanitarian challenges, alongside growing calls from local and international stakeholders for lasting stability in the post-conflict era.