Syria denied a Reuters report on Thursday, November 6, claiming that the United States is preparing to establish a military presence at an air base in the Syrian capital, Damascus, to help enable a security agreement Washington is mediating between Syria and Israel.
An official source at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that there is no truth to what Reuters published regarding U.S. bases in Syria.
The source added that the current phase is witnessing a shift in the U.S. position toward direct engagement with the central Syrian government, support for efforts to unify the country, and rejection of any calls for partition.
The source said work is underway to transfer partnerships and understandings that were previously concluded with temporary entities back to Damascus, within a framework of joint political, military, and economic coordination.
According to the source, Syria, in its new era, is steadily moving to cement stability and to enhance cooperation based on national sovereignty and mutual respect.
Reuters had reported earlier the same day, citing six unnamed Syrian and Western sources, that the base at the entrance to areas in southern Syria is expected to form part of a demilitarized zone under a non-aggression agreement between Israel and Syria.
Sources described by Reuters as familiar with preparations at the base said the United States plans to use it to help monitor the potential agreement between Israel and Syria.
A Western military official told Reuters that the Pentagon accelerated its plans over the past two months and carried out several reconnaissance missions to the base, concluding that the base’s long runway is ready for immediate use.
Two Syrian military sources said technical talks focused on using the base for logistical, reconnaissance, refueling, and humanitarian purposes, with Syria retaining full sovereignty over the facility.
An official at Syria’s Ministry of Defense said U.S. C-130 military transport aircraft had landed at the base to verify the runway’s suitability.
Reuters also quoted a security guard at the base entrance as saying that U.S. aircraft had been landing there as part of tests, while it remained unclear when U.S. personnel might be deployed.
During Cooper’s visit
According to a person familiar with the talks regarding the base, the step was discussed during U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm. Brad Cooper’s visit to Damascus on September 12.
Syria’s transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, met Cooper in Damascus, accompanied by the U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack.
According to the Presidency, al-Sharaa and Cooper discussed prospects for political and military cooperation in ways that serve shared interests and reinforce security and stability in Syria and the region.
CENTCOM said on X that Cooper and Barrack thanked al-Sharaa for his support in confronting the Islamic State group in Syria, and affirmed that eliminating the group’s threat in Syria would reduce the risk of an attack on U.S. soil.
A U.S. administration official told Reuters that Washington continually assesses the military posture it needs in Syria to ensure the effectiveness of efforts against the Islamic State group.
The official did not comment on possible locations for U.S. operations and requested that the base’s name and location not be disclosed for operational security reasons, according to Reuters.
Before al-Sharaa’s visit
Reuters indicated that the new U.S. plans are similar to two other recent American military presences in the region used to monitor cease-fire agreements.
The agency viewed the previously undisclosed plans for a presence in the Syrian capital as an indicator of Syria’s strategic repositioning toward the United States after the fall of the former regime.
Washington is working to broker a truce between Damascus and Tel Aviv, while the latter continues incursions into Syrian territory.
A Syrian source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that Washington is pressing Damascus to reach an agreement before the end of the year, and possibly before al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington.
Syrian President al-Sharaa is scheduled to meet his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, in Washington on Monday, November 10.
It will be the third meeting between al-Sharaa and Trump, the second visit by the current Syrian president to the United States, and the first visit by a Syrian president to Washington.
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