The United States is preparing to end its relatively quiet but long-running military presence in Syria, with officials confirming plans to withdraw the roughly 1,000 American troops still stationed in the country.

U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that all remaining forces will be pulled out over the next two months, bringing to a close a decade-long mission aimed at countering the Islamic State (ISIS). American troops have operated in Syria since 2015 as part of the campaign against ISIS, according to the BBC.

Some US positions along the Syria-Jordan-Iraq border and in northeast Syria have already been vacated. The Pentagon has described the withdrawal as “conditions-based,” emphasizing that it could be reversed if ISIS were to regroup and pose a renewed threat.

The decision shifts significantly more responsibility to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his government. Sharaa rose to power after the 2024 ouster of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad. Since then, his administration has absorbed the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into the national military under a fragile truce backed by the U.S.

Officials say the U.S. will rely more heavily on diplomacy and the capabilities of regional partners while maintaining the ability to strike ISIS targets from outside Syrian territory if necessary, according to The Hill.

Officials also stressed that the withdrawal is not connected to a separate U.S. military buildup aimed at deterring Iran. Even as Washington sends a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, toward Iranian waters, they insist the Syria drawdown is a distinct decision tied solely to the evolving counterterrorism mission.

The planned exit marks the end of a 10-year chapter in America’s involvement in Syria’s complex conflict, leaving the country’s security landscape increasingly in the hands of its new government and regional actors.