U.S. Prepares Presence at Damascus Air Base to Back Prospective Israel–Syria Pact

Overview

• Six sources cited by Reuters say Washington is positioning personnel and assets at a Damascus-area base to help monitor a pact being mediated between Syria and Israel.
• Reconnaissance over the past two months concluded the long runway is immediately usable, with U.S. C-130 flights described as tests to validate the airfield.
• Technical talks have centered on U.S. use for logistics, surveillance, refueling and humanitarian operations, while Syrian officials say sovereignty over the site would be preserved.
• No deployment timetable has been disclosed, and the next diplomatic marker is President Trump’s Nov. 10 White House meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the first such visit by a Syrian head of state.
• The reported move mirrors recent U.S. monitoring roles tied to ceasefires in Lebanon and Israel, comes as about 1,000 U.S. troops remain in northeast Syria after an April drawdown, and unfolds with Russia still operating bases at Tartus and Hmeimim.