Reuters: US prepares to deploy forces to Damascus air base

The United States is preparing to establish a military presence at an air base in Damascus to help broker a pact between Syria and Israel, with Washington acting as a mediator. This was reported by Reuters, citing six people familiar with the matter.

Previously unreported US plans to deploy troops in the Syrian capital would be a sign of Syria's strategic reorientation toward the United States after the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Iran.

The base is located at the entrance to southern Syria, where it is planned to create a demilitarized zone within the framework of the non-aggression pact between Syria and Israel. The deal will be mediated by the US Presidential Administration Donald Trump.

The media reminded that Trump will meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday, November 10. This will be the first such visit by a Syrian head of state.

Reuters spoke to six people, including two Western officials and a Syrian defense official. They confirmed that the US plans to use the base to monitor a potential deal between Israel and Syria.

A US administration spokesman said that Washington "is constantly assessing our necessary posture in Syria to effectively combat ISIS (Islamic State), and we do not comment on locations or possible locations of forces.".

A Western military official said the Pentagon has accelerated its plans over the past two months by conducting several reconnaissance missions to the base. Those missions concluded that the base's long runway was ready for immediate use.

Two Syrian military officials said that technical talks focused on using the base for logistics, surveillance, refueling and humanitarian operations, while Syria would retain full sovereignty over the facility.

It is not known when the US military will be sent to the base.

• On November 1, it became known that al-Sharaa would visit Washington on November 10.
• The United States proposed a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that would lift sanctions against the Syrian president.