Flashpoint / Global

Al-Tanf, Syria

I. Why it Matters

Located in Syria on the Iraqi border and within miles of the Jordanian border, the U.S. garrison at al-Tanf has, since 2016, served as a launching point for counter-ISIS operations and training for Syrian opposition factions fighting the jihadist group. Iranian and Iran-backed forces are deployed in close proximity to the al-Tanf desert outpost, which sits on the strategically significant Baghdad-Damascus highway. U.S. forces in al-Tanf established a 55-km de-confliction zone, beyond which lie an array of forces described as either “pro-regime” or “Iran-backed” that have set up checkpoints in the area. Several incidents in recent months underscore al-Tanf’s potential as a flashpoint between U.S. and Iranian and/or Iran-backed forces.

II. Recent Developments

  • 21 March 2023
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  • 13 February 2023
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  • 25 January 2023
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  • 20 January 2023
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  • 13 January 2023
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  • 29 November 2022
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  • 18 September 2022
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  • 11 September 2022
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  • 31 August 2022
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  • 23 August 2022
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  • 15 August 2022
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  • 20 July 2022
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  • 20 July 2022
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  • 3 July 2022
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  • 24 May 2022
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  • 12 May 2022
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  • 11 May 2022
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  • 8 May 2022
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  • 11 April 2022
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  • 24 March 2022
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  • 23 March 2022
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  • 15 March 2022
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  • 26 February 2022
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  • 3 February 2022
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  • 31 January 2022
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  • 26 January 2022
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  • 5 January 2022
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  • 4 January 2022
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  • 20 December 2021
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  • 15 December 2021
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  • 7 December 2021
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  • 7 December 2021
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  • 6 December 2021
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  • 12 November 2021
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  • 27 October 2021
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  • 20 October 2021
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  • 13 October 2021
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  • 9 October 2021
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  • 21 September 2021
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  • 29 August 2021
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  • 21 August 2021
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  • 9 August 2021
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  • 28 July 2021
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  • 28 June 2021
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  • 28 June 2021
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  • 15 June 2021
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  • 26 May 2021
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  • 25 May 2021
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  • 16 May 2021
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  • 13 April 2021
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  • 30 March 2021
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