A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed an attack “against U.S. forces at Erbil airbase in Iraq that was unsuccessful. No casualties, some minor damage to infrastructure”. He further said that the groups that had been targeting U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria were “affiliated with Iran”, while reporting the deployment of around 900 additional U.S. troops to the Middle East.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that “U.S. military forces conducted self-defence strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups. These precision self-defence strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17”. He further emphasised: “The U.S. does not seek conflict and has no intention nor desire to engage in further hostilities, but these Iranian-backed attacks against U.S. forces are unacceptable and must stop… If attacks by Iran’s proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people”. “These narrowly tailored [U.S] strikes… are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict”, Austin added. “We continue to urge all state and non-state entities not to take action that would escalate into a broader regional conflict”.

Media reports indicated that two rockets had targeted Ain al-Assad Base. The same day, a Pentagon spokesperson noted that over the previous week, “U.S. and coalition forces have been attacked at least ten separate times in Iraq and three separate times in Syria via a mix of one way attack drones and rockets”, attributing the attacks to “Iranian proxy groups”. In total, more than twenty U.S. personnel were injured, an unnamed U.S. official confirmed. The following day, President Biden asserted: “My warning to the Ayatollah was that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond, and he should be prepared”.

Addressing a UN Security Council ministerial meeting, Secretary of State Antony Blinken contended that “for years, Iran has supported Hamas, Hizbollah, the Huthis and other groups that continue to carry out attacks on Israel… In recent weeks, Iran’s proxies have repeatedly attacked U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria, whose mission is to prevent ISIS from renewing its rampage. So let me say this before this council and let me say what we have consistently said to Iranian officials through other channels: The U.S. does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war [between Israel and Gaza] to widen. But if Iran or its proxies attack U.S. personnel anywhere, make no mistake: We will defend our people, we will defend our security – swiftly and decisively”.

CENTCOM confirmed that “the U.S. military destroyed two one-way attack drones near U.S. and Coalition forces in south west Syria before they reached their intended targets. There are no casualties or damage”.

A Pentagon spokesperson, discussing increased attacks against bases housing U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria, said that “these groups [conducting the attacks] are groups that are backed by Iran. We don't necessarily see that Iran has explicitly ordered them to take these kinds of attacks. That said, by virtue of the fact that they are supported by Iran, we will ultimately hold Iran responsible”. “We’re going to continue to do what we need to do to protect and safeguard our forces and take all necessary measures”, he added. “No one wants to see a wider regional conflict, but we will not hesitate to protect our forces”. Relatedly, a U.S. national security council  spokesperson warned that “We know Iran’s goal is to maintain some level of deniability here, but we’re not going to allow them to do that. We also are not going to allow any threat to our interests in the region to go unchallenged”.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, citing “recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East”, announced “the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery as well as additional Patriot battalions to locations throughout the region to increase force protection for U.S. forces”, adding: “An additional number of forces on prepare to deploy orders as part of prudent contingency planning, to increase their readiness and ability to quickly respond as required”. He also conferred with his Israeli counterpart regarding “the continued provision of security assistance and the U.S. commitment to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war [between Israel and Gaza]”. The following day, Secretary of State Antony Blinken: “We are concerned at the possibility of Iranian proxies escalating their attacks against our own personnel... We’re taking every measure to make sure that we can defend them and, if necessary, respond decisively. Not at all what we’re looking for, not at all what we want, but we’ll be prepared if that’s what they choose to do”.

A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed two drones had targeted U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition forces in the al-Tanf garrison a day earlier; one was intercepted, the other caused minor injuries.

A senior U.S. commander expressed concerns over what he described as “the growing relationship between Russia and Iran and the drones being supplied to Russia… Who would have ever thought that the Russian Federation would need to go to Iran for military capabilities, and yet we’re there. That means that Russia actually owes Iran something”. He further noted that “there could be some amount of cooperation and collusion between Russia and Iran that’s playing out here in Syria… It is something that we watch very closely. That burgeoning relationship is of a military concern to me”.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity persistently endure grave violations, stemming from both the occupation of certain areas by illegal foreign forces and aggressions by the Israeli regime and terrorist groups”. He went on to call “for the complete withdrawal of all illegal foreign military forces from Syrian territory”, and maintained that “there is no other alternative to pursuing a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned settlement with UN assistance”.

During a meeting with his Syrian counterpart in Tehran, Iran’s foreign minister “strongly condemned” Israeli strikes in Syria and called for “the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syrian soil”. Separately, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ali-Akbar Ahmadian, told the Syrian diplomat that “in order to disrupt the new de-escalation process in the region, Washington is trying to create fabricated crises in Syria through military campaigns and controlled conflicts, and continues to portray itself as an important and influential actor in Syria to persist with its illegal and illegitimate presence”.

U.S. Air Forces Central reported that on July 23 “Russian fighter aircraft flew dangerously close to a U.S. MQ-9 drone on a defeat-ISIS mission… One of the Russian flares struck the U.S. MQ-9, severely damaging its propeller. Fortunately, the MQ-9 crew was able to maintain flight and safely recover the aircraft to its home base”. It further urged “the Russian forces in Syria to put an immediate end to this reckless, unprovoked and unprofessional behaviour”. The following day, a White House spokesperson indicated that “we’ve seen the early reports of a second Russian fighter aircraft this week flying dangerously close to our drone on a defeat ISIS mission… Russia’s close approach to and deployment of flares over U.S. drones during a routine mission against ISIS targets indeed violates established protocols and international norms”.

A senior U.S. military official reported that “Russian military aircraft engaged in unsafe and unprofessional behaviour while interacting with U.S. aircraft in Syria… These events represent another example of unprofessional and unsafe actions by Russia air forces operating in Syria, which threaten the safety of both U.S. and Russian forces”.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “the illegal presence of foreign military forces including the U.S. forces in Syria constitutes a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law and is the primary source of insecurity in the country. We call for the immediate and complete withdrawal of these unlawful forces”. He further denounced what he characterised as “the continuous acts of aggression and military attacks by the Israeli regime against Syria, particularly those that target civilian infrastructure, alongside the persistent occupation of the Syrian Golan”.

The U.S. sanctioned five Syrian entities and individuals for having “secretly helped the Syrian regime under Bashar al-Assad and its Hizbollah and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) allies maintain access to the international financial system in violation of international sanctions”.

Iran’s defence minister met with his Syrian counterpart, and expressed readiness “to cooperate with the Syrian Arab Republic in establishing factories and launching production lines of strategic defence equipment”.

Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson welcomed Syria’s readmission in the Arab League, asserting that “settling difference among Islamic countries and convergence and synergy among them positively affects stability and inclusive peace and paves the way for reduction in expedient foreign interventions in regional affairs”. Secretary of State Antony Blinken remarked that “we do not believe that Syria merits re-admission to the Arab League. It’s a point we have made to all of our regional partners, but they have to make their own decisions. Our position is clear: We are not going to be in the business of normalising relations with Assad and with that regime”.

President Raisi visited Syria and met with President Bashar al-Assad, asserting: “Just as the Islamic Republic stood by the Syrian government and nation in the fight against terrorism, it will also stand by its Syrian brothers in the field of development and progress". The two sides inked a “Comprehensive Program of Strategic and Long-Term Cooperation”, and fourteen other agreements in various fields, including oil and energy. Raisi, who described his trip within Iran’s ”framework of supporting the resistance”, also reiterated that “the presence of Americans in Syria not only does not create security, but also disrupts the security of Syria and the region. The faster the Americans leave Syria, the more secure Syria will be”. A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson maintained that “the Iranian regime and the Assad regime continuing to deepen their ties should be of great concern to not just our allies and partners and countries in the region, but also the world broadly”, adding: “We will not normalise relations with the Assad regime. And we do not support others normalising with Damascus either… The U.S. believes that a political solution that is outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2254 is the only viable solution to this conflict in Syria”. The following day, Raisi met with Palestinians in Damascus, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials, insisting that “the unity and cohesion of the resistance forces, the region and the Islamic world is necessary to accelerate the defeat of the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] and the liberation of the Holy Quds and the sovereignty of the Palestinians over their destiny”.

Amid a visit by Syria’s foreign minister to Saudi Arabia, a U.S. official asserted that “our position is clear: we will not normalise relations with the Assad regime absent real progress towards a political solution to the underlying conflict… We have also made clear that the core architecture of our sanctions remains firmly in place”.

Iran’s UN ambassador wrote to the Security Council condemning U.S. 23 March strikes in Syria, and maintaining that Iran had “never been involved, directly or indirectly, in any attacks against the U.S. military forces in Syria and Iraq”. He called on the U.S. to “end its illegal occupation” of Syrian territory, while maintaining: “Iran’s presence in Syria is fully legal and is based on a formal request and consent from the Syrian government to provide assistance and support in the fight against terrorism. The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its inherent right to self-defence under international law and will take decisive measures to protect its forces, interests and facilities from any threat or unlawful act perpetrated by the U.S. or others”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson reaffirmed that “we will not normalise with the Assad regime, nor will we encourage others, absent authentic and enduring progress towards a political resolution in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254… We continue to urge anybody engaging with Damascus to consider sincerely and thoroughly how their engagements can help provide for Syrians in need, no matter where they live”.

A senior U.S. defence official stressed that “our forces [in Iraq and Syria] are under constant threat from Iranian-aligned militia groups who seek to constantly harass our forces, which detracts and undermines our ability to continue prosecuting the defeat ISIS mission, and it also directly undermines, threatens and jeopardises the recovery efforts of those local communities who, only a few years ago, were under ISIS caliphate rule, experiencing the worst depravities and atrocities. So it’s truly destabilising”. She further asserted that “we hold Iran accountable and responsible for these attacks because Iran is arming, training, equipping and guiding these groups”.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “the presence of foreign forces in the north of Syria under the pretext of combating terrorism should not be used to violate and undermine Syria’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity... In order to create conducive grounds for ending the crisis in Syria, all uninvited foreign forces must leave that country without any precondition or delay, and terrorist groups must be confronted”. He further urged the Council to “compel the Israeli regime to end all acts of aggression against Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity immediately”.

CENTCOM reported that “three one-way attack drones [had] attacked the al-Tanf Garrison in Syria. Two of the drones were shot down by Coalition Forces while one struck the compound, injuring two members of the Syrian Free Army partner force… No U.S. forces were injured”. A spokesperson asserted that “attacks of this kind are unacceptable – they place our troops and our partners at risk and jeopardise the fight against ISIS”.

Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi reported that “we crossed 52 operations [against Iranian-related targets] in 2022”, adding: “Iran still has a desire… to put weapons and advanced capabilities in Syria… but there is no doubt that we have prevented what was supposed to be there. They wanted hundreds of surface-to-air missiles and surface-to-surface missiles. They wanted tens of thousands of militiamen and a second Hizbollah. All of this was thwarted completely”. Asserting that the IDF had stopped more than 90 per cent of Iranian arms going into Syria, Kohavi noted: “Some of our action is to block the crossings – by air, ground or sea – and some is to hunt what gets in. Just look at the media reports and understand where we operate”.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “security and stability in the north of Syria can only be achieved by preserving and fully respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and any military operation in the north of Syria would only make the already challenging humanitarian situation even worst”, while denouncing what he described as “the robbery of Syrian people’s natural resources, particularly oil products, in areas occupied by foreign forces”. He further asked the Council to condemn “ongoing aggressions and terrorist attacks of the Israeli regime against Syria”. “[Israel’s] systematic and intentional targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, particularly the attacks on commercial airports and humanitarian shipments, are a flagrant violation of international law”, he added, while underscoring Syria’s right to self-defence.

The U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition confirmed that “indirect fire [had] struck in the vicinity of Green Village in Eastern Syria, constituting an attempted attack on our coalition forces and partners. There were no casualties or damage to infrastructure”. The coalition’s commander asserted that “actions like this are irresponsible and are attempts to distract our Partner Forces from their mission to clear ISIS. Due to its indiscriminate nature, the choice of weapon and the reckless manner of its use has needlessly put the lives of innocent civilians at risk”.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid asserted that “Israel is working to prevent Iran from establishing terrorist bases throughout the Middle East and especially in Syria… Israel will not allow Syria to be used as an axis for the transfer of weapons to terrorist organisations, and will not accept the establishment of Iranian bases or militia bases on our northern border”. The following day, Defence Minister Benny Gantz posited that Iran had built “production facilities [in Syria] for mid- and long-range precise missiles and weapons, provided to Hizbollah and Iranian proxies. In other words, it became yet another Iranian front – a factory for advanced, strategic weapons”. “These sites, particularly the underground facility at Masyaf”, Gantz added, “host significant threats to the region and to the State of Israel… Masyaf, specifically, is used to produce advanced missiles”. He also said, “the Iranians are currently working to build missile and weapon industries in Lebanon and Yemen… If this trend will not be stopped, within a decade, there will be advanced Iranian industries across the region, producing weapons and spreading terror”.

President Biden conferred with Prime Minister Yair Lapid “to consult on global and regional security challenges, including threats posed by Iran” and reiterated the “U.S. commitment to never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon”. The Israeli readout also noted Lapid underscoring “the importance of the strikes President Biden ordered in Syria”.

CENTCOM confirmed U.S. airstrikes in Deir al-Zor “intended to defend and protect U.S. forces from attacks like the ones on August 15 against U.S. personnel by Iran-backed groups. The U.S. strikes targeted infrastructure facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps”. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson called the operation “a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, and asserted: “The sites targeted had no links to the Islamic Republic”. A senior Pentagon official said “we believe we have Iran dead to rights on attribution” regarding the 15 August attacks, adding: “Whether the JCPOA is reborn or not, it actually has nothing to do without willingness and resolve to defend ourselves. And I think the strike… was a pretty clear communication to the Iranians, that these things are on different tracks”. On 24 August CENTCOM announced that “U.S. forces responded… to rocket attacks at two sites in Syria” that injured three U.S. service members, with “initial assessments… that two or three suspected Iran-backed militants conducting one of the attacks were killed”. The following day it reported that operations with helicopters and artillery against “Iran affiliated militants… result[ed] in four enemy fighters killed and seven enemy rocket launchers destroyed”. 

CENTCOM confirmed that “al-Tanf Garrison… defended against three One-Way Attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that attempted to penetrate the base. None of the UAVs were successful and the attack resulted in no casualties or damage”. The same day, the U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition confirmed that “multiple rounds of indirect fire landed in the vicinity of Green Village in north-eastern Syria”, adding: “The rockets endangered the civilian population in the area and its infrastructure”. “The Coalition is proud to be a reliable partner in the efforts to maintain the lasting defeat of ISIS, and our commitment is unwavering despite these reckless actions by those responsible”, the coalition commander highlighted.

Iran, Russia and Turkey convened a meeting of the “Astana Process” talks over Syria and jointly reaffirmed “their determination to continue working together to combat terrorism”, “rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives” and “expressed their opposition to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues that should belong to Syria”. The three countries also condemned “the continuing Israeli military attacks in Syria including civilian infrastructures... as destabilising and intensifying the tension in the region”.

President Raisi told Syria’s foreign minister that “America’s withdrawal from east of the Euphrates and the entire region is the basic and root solution to the crises in West Asia”. The same day, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian conferred with his Syrian counterpart on “ways forward for all-out expansion of ties between the two countries, regional developments and international issues”.

During a visit to Damascus, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian told President Bashar al-Assad that “we are opposed to use of military operations to resolve problems… Problems must be solved and concerns must be dispelled through direct talks and cooperation”. He also offered “unwavering support for the resistance to ensure lasting security in the region against the threats posed by the fake Israeli regime”. Amirabdollahian also conferred with his Syrian counterpart on “the capacities of both states for further enhancement of mutual relations in political, economic, industrial and commercial fields”, noting that “Iran’s technical and engineering capabilities can contribute to the implementation of the two countries’ joint big projects”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian conferred with his Syrian counterpart on bilateral relations while reiterating “Iran’s determination to provide necessary assistance to Syria to overcome the negative impacts of the Western coercive measures imposed on the country”.

The U.S. announced a general license “authorising specific economic activities in certain non-regime-held areas of north east and north west Syria”, asserting that it “supports the Biden Administration’s strategy to defeat ISIS by promoting economic stabilisation in areas liberated from the terrorist group’s control”. The State Department noted that “the authorisation does not permit any activity with the Government of Syria or other sanctions persons”, and went on to underscore that it did “not indicate any shift in the Administration’s policy towards the Assad regime”.

The foreign ministers of the counter-ISIS coalition issued a joint statement highlighting that “ensuring the enduring defeat of Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria remains the number one priority”, adding: “Despite significant setbacks… the terrorist group continues to conduct attacks in Iraq and Syria and represents an ongoing threat”. The ministers affirmed that “the Coalition will continue to provide support to the Iraqi Security Forces”, while underscoring “the need to enhance civilian-led counterterrorism capabilities in Iraq… [and] the need to ensure sustainable long-term solutions for Daesh/ISIS fighters and family members in northeast Syria”. “In Syria”, the statement added, “the Coalition stands with the Syrian people in support of a lasting political settlement in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254”.

President Bashar al-Assad visited Tehran and met with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Raisi.

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz indicated that “Israel is operating against weapons transfers and other Iranian threats. In the recent period, we are seeing more stability in Syria and I see that there is some activity between Syria and members of the Arab League. If Assad wishes to be part of the [near] region, he will have to [cut] his negative ties to Iran and the terror that emanates from Syria”.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be jeopardised in the name of fighting terrorism.… All occupying and uninvited foreign forces, including those of the U.S., must leave the country immediately and without any conditions”. He further denounced Israel’s “repeated violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, urging the Council to hold Israel “accountable for such acts of aggression and malice, as well as its blatant threats to use force against other regional countries”.

During a visit to Damascus, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian conferred with President Bashar al-Assad on, inter alia, “the expansion of economic cooperation” and also hailed “the trend of the normalisation of ties between regional countries and Syria”, while highlighting that “as for regional tensions, the Islamic Republic opposes any war and supports resolution of disputes through dialogue and political means”.

CENTCOM Commander Kenneth McKenzie described Iran as “the greatest single day-to-day threat to regional security and stability”, noting that “the risk of miscalculation and escalation remains high because of Iran's strategic calculation that it can simultaneously and discretely engage in diplomacy with and a proxy campaign against the U.S.”. McKenzie's statement to a Senate committee further addressed the role of Iran and Iran-backed groups in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

Iran’s UN ambassador told the Security Council that “the fight against terrorism cannot be used as an excuse to undermine Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The illegal presence of foreign forces in parts of Syria which has provided favorable conditions for terrorist activities in Syria, must end immediately”. The Iranian diplomat further denounced Israel’s “repeated violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity… We call on the Security Council to hold this regime accountable for such acts of aggression and its malign activities as well as its open threats to use force against other regional countries”. The following day, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, met with his Syrian counterpart.

President Biden announced that “we have taken off the battlefield… the leader of ISIS” as the result of a military operation in north-western Syria.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson reaffirmed that “we continue to believe that now is not the time for normalisation [with Syria under Assad]. Now continues to be the time for accountability for the atrocities of the regime”.

The U.S.’s UN envoy told the Security Council that Washington’s goals in Syria included “sustaining the U.S. and Coalition campaign to prevent the resurgence of ISIS… [and] to support a political process, one led by the Syrian people, as envisioned and agreed by this Council in Resolution 2254”. During the same session, Iran’s ambassador maintained that “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria continues to be seriously violated either through the occupation of parts of the country or by the aggression of the Israeli regime and the terrorists… While the Syrian crisis has no military solution, it cannot also come to an end without ending its occupation, restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity and confronting the threat of terrorism”.

The U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition reported that its “forces were targeted… by eight rounds of indirect fire at Green Village, a Syrian Democratic Forces base with a small Coalition advisory presence, in north east Syria”; minor damage was reported. In response, according to the statement, the coalition “fired six rounds of artillery towards the point of origin of the attack... The Iran-supported malign actors fired on the Coalition and SDF from within civilian infrastructure”. The statement added that “hours before the attack, Coalition forces observed several launch sites of indirect fire rockets that posed an imminent threat in the vicinity of Green Village. Acting in self-defence, Coalition forces conducted several strikes to eliminate the observed threats”. A coalition official underscored that “the Coalition reserves the right to defend itself and partner forces against any threat”, while noting: “the Coalition continues to see threats against our forces in Iraq and Syria by militia groups that are backed by Iran”.

The U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition struck what the Pentagon described as an area it believed was “going to be used as launch sites for attacks on Green Village”, a coalition base in north-eastern Syria.

An Iranian diplomat told the Security Council that it “must compel the Israeli regime to end the occupation of the Syrian Golan and also stop immediately its aggressions against Syria”, adding: “all occupying and uninvited foreign forces must leave that country without any precondition or further delay”.

CENTCOM reported that the U.S.-led coalition had spotted two drones over the deconfliction zone; one was “assessed as demonstrating hostile and was shot down” and the other “was not engaged and likely left the area”.

The U.S. designated “two Syrian Air Force officers responsible for chemical weapons attacks on civilians, and three Syrian intelligence officers in Syria’s repressive security and intelligence apparatus”.  

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan assessed that “since Donald Trump made the decision to pull the U.S. out of the Iran Nuclear Deal in 2018, Hizbollah has continued to menace Lebanon and the region. Iran’s proxies in Iraq and Syria and Yemen have continued to move forward. So, not being in the nuclear deal has hardly been a solution to the proxy”. He further asserted that “nothing about the nuclear deal stops the U.S.’s capacity to deal with those proxies. And we are prepared to do so”, adding: “ultimately, an Iran with a nuclear weapon is going to be a greater menace in partnerships with its proxies than Iran without one. And so it is our determination to ensure they never get a nuclear weapon, and diplomacy is the best way forward”.

Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian met with his Syrian counterpart and noted “the need for special focus on promoting economic and trade relations”. He further denounced “the Zionist [ie, Israeli] regime’s aggression against Syria”, and charachterised “the military presence of foreign forces without coordination with and permission from the Syrian government as a source of insecurity in the region, particularly in Syria”. The Syrian minister also met with President Raisi, who asserted that “comprehensive planning should be done to develop and deepen relations”.

The U.S. State Department underscored that “terrorist groups like ISIS in Syria directly threaten U.S. national security and the Syrian people. The U.S. remains committed to the military mission against ISIS. We will maintain our mission in Syria until the threat posed by the terrorist group is eliminated”.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “the occupation of parts of Syria by foreign forces must come to an end... all occupying and uninvited foreign forces must leave that country without any precondition or further delay”. He further urged the Council to “compel the Israeli regime to end the occupation of the Syrian Golan and also stop immediately its aggressions against Syria”. The official also denounced “in the strongest terms” the killing of a former Syrian lawmaker, which he attributed to Israel, “as well as all violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria by the Israeli regime”, noting “Syria’s inherent right to self-defence and to respond at a time and place of its choosing”.

U.S. Central Command confirmed “a deliberate and coordinated attack” at al-Tanf, which “utilised both unmanned aerial systems and indirect fire”. A CENTCOM spokesperson stated that “we are not aware of any injuries to U.S. personnel at this time”, going on to assert that “we maintain the inherent right of self-defence and will respond at a time and place of our choosing”. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken remarked that “keeping violence down; increasing humanitarian assistance and focusing our military efforts on any terrorist groups that pose a threat to us or to our partners, with the intent and capacity to do that… are going to be the critical areas of focus for us, and they’re also, I think, important to advancing a broader political settlement to the Syrian conflict consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2254”. He further noted that “what we have not done and what we do not intend to do is to express any support for efforts to normalise relations or rehabilitate Mr. Assad, or lifted a single sanction on Syria or changed our position to oppose the reconstruction of Syria until there is irreversible progress toward a political solution”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian visited Damascus and met with President Bashar al-Assad and other senior Syrian officials. During his trip, Amirabdollahian asserted that “our ties with Syria are strategic and we are trying to expand our cooperation with the country in all fields. Syria is on the path of development and progress, and on this path, Iran will strongly stand by Damascus, as it did during the war on terrorists”.

A spokesperson for the U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition indicated that “the coalition continues to foster our partnership with Maghawir a-Thawra as working and training together [to] present a strong and unified front that is capable of deterring a Daesh resurgence and any potential threat in and around al-Tanf Garrison”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian visited Syria and met with senior officials including President Bashar al-Assad. According to a Syrian readout, the two conferred on, inter alia, “steps… to enhance bilateral cooperation with the aim of reaching a higher level of partnerships at various levels, particularly in the economic and trade fields, in a way that enables the two peoples to continue facing the repercussions of the blockade and sanctions imposed on the two countries”.

The U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition reported that “Coalition aircraft successfully engaged and defeated a UAS through air to air engagement” in eastern Syria; unnamed officials were cited as saying that the drone was Iranian.

The U.S. announced that it had “applied the measures authorised in Section 3 of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act” against, inter alia, Kataeb Hizbollah, Asaeb Ahl al-Haq and Lebanese Hizbollah.

The U.S. designated “eight Syrian prisons run by the Assad regime’s intelligence apparatus… and five senior security officials of regime entities that control these detention facilities”. It also blacklisted “Syrian armed group Ahrar al-Sharqiya… [and] two of the group’s leaders”.

The foreign ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS issued a joint statement expressing their commitment “to strengthening cooperation across all Coalition lines of effort in order to ensure that Daesh/ISIS Core in Iraq and Syria”. On Iraq, they deplored “the continuing attacks against Coalition personnel and convoys, and diplomatic facilities, emphasising the importance of the Government of Iraq protecting Coalition assets”, while hailing “the incremental expansion of NATO’s non-combat advisory, training and capacity building mission”. Regarding Syria, the ministers backed “a lasting political settlement in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254”, while noting that “the Coalition continues to support inclusive local recovery and stabilisation in areas liberated from Daesh/ISIS and reconciliation and reintegration efforts to foster conditions conducive to a Syria-wide political resolution to the conflict under the parameters of UN Security Council Resolution 2254”.

The U.S. along with eighteen countries, the League of Arab States and the European Union jointly reiterated “strong support for UN-led efforts to implement all aspects of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, including continued support for an immediate nation-wide ceasefire, the unimpeded and safe delivery of aid, and the Constitutional Committee, as well as fighting against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”. Emphasising “the unity and territorial integrity of Syria”, they expressed commitments “to continue working actively to reach a credible, sustainable and inclusive political solution based on Resolution 2254”.

A spokesperson for the U.S.-led counter-ISIS coalition maintained that “continued collaboration with the Maghawir a-Thawra is essential to enable security and prevent a Daesh [ie, ISIS] resurgence in and around al-Tanf Garrison. The coalition enables its partners to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS in designated areas of Iraq and Syria to increase regional stability”.

Addressing the UN Security Council, Iran’s envoy called for preserving “the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria through ending the occupation of its territory including the occupied Syrian Golan, withdrawing of all uninvited foreign forces from that country, ceasing to support any separatist tendencies or illegitimate self-rule initiatives and preventing the violation of Syrian sovereignty particularly by acts of aggression of the Israeli regime”.

A Pentagon spokesperson underscored that “nothing’s changed about the [U.S.’s] mission in Syria, which is about counter-ISIS operations, in keeping with the work that the coalition has been doing since 2014. It is certainly a small presence, less than 1,000”. He also indicated that “we as a government would simply urge all actors act in such a way inside Syria so as to not contribute more to the instability, the insecurity and rather in fact contribute to a peaceful political outcome”.

During a visit to north east Syria, a senior U.S. diplomat affirmed “the U.S. commitment to cooperation and coordination in the Coalition to Defeat ISIS, continued stability in north east Syria and the delivery of stabilisation assistance to liberated areas to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS”. He further expressed “commitment to support all efforts toward a political resolution of the Syrian conflict” and emphasised that “the U.S. will continue to be a leader in the Syrian humanitarian response while working with like-minded countries to ensure the reauthorisation of cross-border assistance into Syria”.

The U.S. Intelligence Community’s 2021 Annual Threat Assessment indicated that “Iran is determined to maintain influence in Syria… [It] is pursuing a permanent military presence and economic deals in Syria as the conflict winds down there. Tehran almost certainly wants these things to build its regional influence, support Hizbollah and threaten Israel”. The report further assessed that “U.S. forces in eastern Syria will face threats from Iranian and Syrian-regime-aligned groups, mostly through deniable attacks”.

The U.S. unveiled “more than $596 million in new humanitarian assistance to respond to the Syrian crisis”, with the U.S. UN ambassador underscoring the importance of “unhindered humanitarian access and aid to all Syrians in need through all avenues available, including through cross-border assistance”.

The foreign ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS Small Group issued a communique reiterating “shared determination to continue the fight against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and to create conditions for an enduring defeat of the terrorist group”. The ministers expressed “unwavering commitment to continue close cooperation with and support to the Government of Iraq” and asserted that “attacks against Coalition forces and Iraqi partners, such as those that occurred in Erbil, Baghdad and al-Asad, are unacceptable and compromise our collective efforts at the expense of the people of Iraq”. The statement went on to say that “the Coalition stands with the Syrian people in support of a lasting political settlement in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The Coalition must continue to be vigilant against the threat of terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations… to avoid security vacuums that Daesh/ISIS may exploit”.

Marking the second anniversary of ISIS’s territorial defeat, the U.S. State Department asserted that “our mission is far from complete. The Global Coalition remains united in its determination to see this enemy destroyed and will continue its efforts against the group in Iraq, Syria, and other countries”.

Marking the tenth anniversary of the Syrian war, the U.S., jointly with the E3 and Italy, issued a statement urging “the regime and its supporters [to] engage seriously in the political process” and reaffirming “the pursuit of a peaceful solution which protects the rights and future of all Syrians, based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254”. Relatedly, Iran UN envoy urged “the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces present in Syria without the permission of its Government, particularly U.S. forces”, adding: “We condemn the continued Israeli military attacks in Syria. They are unlawful, provocative, and destabilising. That regime must be compelled to put an end to such military adventurism”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson reiterated that “we’ll use a variety of tools at our disposal to push for a sustainable end to the Syrian people’s suffering. We’ll continue to support the UN’s role in negotiating a political settlement in line with the relevant UN resolutions, including UNSCR 2254”. “If there is to be a sustainable end to this conflict, we recognise that the Syrian Government must change its behaviour”, the spokesperson asserted, adding: “Bashar al-Assad has not done anything that would restore his legitimacy… There is no question of the U.S. normalising relations with his government anytime soon. There is no question that we will stand, that we will seek to support the humanitarian plight of the Syrian people as we seek a political settlement”.

Foreign minister Javad Zarif conferred with his Syrian counterpart on bilateral relations and the Syrian peace process.

Iran, Russia and Turkey convened a meeting of the “Astana Process” talks over Syria, jointly reaffirming “determination to combat terrorism in all forms and manifestations and stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as well as threatening the national security of neighbouring countries”. The three countries also “condemned continuing Israeli military attacks in Syria” and “reaffirmed their commitment to advance viable and lasting Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254”. Relatedly, a senior Iranian diplomat met with the UN special envoy for Syria.

A senior Iranian diplomat asserted that Iran’s “presence in Syria is aimed at combating Daesh [ie, ISIS] and other terrorist groups, but if Israel wants to cross the ‘red lines’, it will face the toughest response, which will make it regret its actions”. “Iran’s presence in Syria will continue as long as the country’s government and people ask for it… those who have illegally come to Syria and occupied its territories are those who should leave the country”, he contended.

A senior Iranian diplomat visited Damascus and met with President Bashar al-Assad as well as the Syrian foreign minister. The Iranian official discussed with Assad “Iran’s viewpoints and stances regarding the Astana Process and the fifth meeting of Syria’s Constitutional Committee in Geneva”.

A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson remarked that “we will renew U.S. efforts to promote a political settlement to end Syria’s civil war in close consultations with our allies, our partners and the UN. A political settlement must address the underlying causes that led to nearly a decade of civil war”. He further stated that “we will use the tools at our disposal, including economic pressure, to push for meaningful reform and accountability, and we’ll continue to support the UN’s role in negotiating a political settlement in line with UNSCR 2254. We will also restore U.S. leadership in providing humanitarian aid”.

The U.S. Treasury Department designated “two individuals, nine business entities and the Central Bank of Syria… pursuant to Syria sanctions authorities”. In parallel, the State Department sanctioned six Syrians, including President Bashar al-Assad’s wife and the commander of Syria’s military intelligence.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, asked “why do you send Afghans to the Syrian war”, maintained that “we do not send anyone to Syria… nobody goes to war on behalf of a foreign country to a third country. Our brothers would go to [Syria] voluntarily”. Zarif further noted that the majority of Afghan soldiers “have rejoined normal life… as now the war is over in Syria”, estimating fewer than 2,000 remained in Syria. “As they went to Syria to join the anti-Daesh forces”, he added, “we, without any hesitation, supported all resistance forces against terrorism and extremism”, confirming: “We support the families of those who get martyred”.

Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council that “Iran is fully committed to contributing to a political solution of the Syrian crisis” and asserted: “Sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria must be fully respected by all, separatist agendas and illegitimate self-rule initiatives must be rejected and all foreign forces whose presence is not permitted by the Syrian Government, particularly the U.S. forces who are following a hidden agenda, must leave Syria”. He further denounced “Israel’s continued aggression against Syria”, adding that “such provocative military adventurism must stop”.

Israel’s military chief of staff reported that “the Iranian entrenchment in Syria is in a clear slowdown as a result of IDF activity, but we still have a long way to go to complete our goals in this arena”. He also indicated that Israel had “struck over 500 targets this year, on all fronts, in addition to multiple clandestine missions”, further noting “many offensive [cyber] operations”.

The U.S. designated Hassan Irloo, whom it described as “an official in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF) and the Iranian regime’s envoy to the Huthi rebels in Yemen” on counterterrorism authorities. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo argued that “by dispatching Irloo to Yemen, the IRGC-QF is signaling its intent to increase support to the Huthis and further complicate international efforts to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict”. The U.S. also sanctioned “Al-Mustafa International University for facilitating IRGC-QF recruitment efforts and one individual”. According to the Treasury Department, the university “is used as a recruitment platform by the IRGC-QF for intelligence collection and operations, including recruitment for the IRGC-QF-led foreign militias fighting on behalf of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria”. The following day, Iran blacklisted the U.S. ambassador to Yemen for having “a leading role in organising, financing and arming, directing and carrying out actions of aggressor coalition and formation of human tragedy in Yemen”.

Syrian Foreign Minister Feisal Meqdad visited Tehran and met with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and other senior officials. Discussing the trip, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson maintained that “political solutions are the only possible option to end the current crisis” in Syria and affirmed that “Iran stands beside the Syrian people and the government in the fight against terrorism”. The following day, President Rouhani called Syrian a “strategic ally” and asserted that Israel “must be confronted until the liberation of the occupied territories, including Golan Heights”. Iran’s Defence Minister, Amir Hatami, also voiced “the determination of Iran to continue cooperation with Syria in the reconstruction phase of this country”.

Secretary Pompeo announced that “the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury sanctioned nineteen individuals and entities under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 and other sanctions authorities”. “The Assad regime has a choice: take irreversible steps toward a peaceful resolution of this decade-long conflict or face further crippling sanctions”, Pompeo asserted.

The spokesperson for the counter-ISIS coalition underscored that “a key part of the mission to defeat Daesh falls on the coalition members and our partners in the Al-Tanf Garrison. Protection of this terrain keeps Daesh and other outlaw groups from using this region”. “CJTF-OIR is committed to maintaining the security in and around Al-Tanf Garrison”, the spokesperson asserted. 

The U.S. ambassador to the UN told the Security Council that “the Assad regime continues to give Iran and its military proxies safe harbour to extend their terror campaign and project its military power deeper into the Middle East, threatening the lives of the Syrian people, but also the security of Israel”. She further asserted that “Iranian forces must withdraw from Syria for there to be lasting peace. Only the UN-facilitated political solution outlined in Resolution 2254 will pave the way for Syria at peace with its people and the region”.

President Bashar al-Assad maintained that “we can only have normal relations with Israel when we have our land back. It’s very simple. So, it is possible when Israel is ready and Israel is not ready. It has never been ready”. He also asserted that “we don’t have Iranian troops [in Syria]… They support Syria, they send their military experts, they work with our troops on the ground, the exist with the Syrian army”. “The Iranian issue is a pretext for occupying Syrian land and supporting terrorists”, Assad insisted.

The U.S. unveiled “seventeen Syria sanctions designations as part of the Administration’s continuing campaign to achieve the goals of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 and hold Assad and his enablers accountable for their crimes”.

CENTCOM Commander Kenneth McKenzie confirmed that “we’re in two positions in Syria… in the Eastern Syria Security Area, we got more than 500 people that are working that area. And we’ve got a couple hundred down in the al-Tanf Garrison”. He further underscored that “we’re not doing any fighting in there. We are in there to support our SDF partners and the military objective we’re in there is to finish the final defeat of ISIS up and down the Euphrates River Valley… At the same time, we’re there to assist the SDF and holding the oil fields that are there as well to prevent ISIS from recapturing those oil fields and allow the SDF ultimately perhaps to recoup some of the benefits of those oil fields”.

Syrian state media reported Israeli airstrikes “from the side of al-Tanf into the direction of T-4 airport” near Homs, causing material damage but no casualties. Media reports indicated that additional suspected Israeli strikes targeted sites in Deir al-Zour province, purportedly killing “sixteen Iraqi paramilitary fighters loyal to Iran”.

On the sidelines of a Syrian Constitutional Committee meeting in Geneva, Iran, Russia and Turkey “reaffirmed their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic”. They further voiced “their opposition to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues that should belong to the Syrian Arab Republic”, and “condemned the continuing Israel’s [sic] military attacks in Syria”.

The U.S. Special Representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, reiterated that “our goals [in Syria] remain as they have been for years: the enduring defeat of ISIS and al-Qaeda, an irreversible political solution to the Syrian conflict in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and the removal of all Iranian-commanded forces. We are maintaining our maximum political and economic pressure for these goals… Our policy isn’t regime change; our policy is a change in behavior of whoever is governing in Damascus”. He further commented on a deal between Delta Crescent Energy, a U.S. company, and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and maintained that “we are not involved in the commercial decisions of our local partners… The U.S. government doesn’t own, control or manage oil resources in Syria”.

The U.S. designated fourteen Syrian individuals and entities pursuant to the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act (Caesar Act). The same day, the U.S. special envoy for Syria, commenting on Iran’s “military cooperation agreement” with Damascus, asserted that “such military aid to the Assad regime, violates the Caesar Act… The Iranian regime’s pledge to export military equipment to Syria is in blatant defiance of the UN arms embargo under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and it’s a further demonstration of why we in the U.S. think it’s an imperative that the Security Council must act to extend the arms embargo on Iran” beyond October. He further maintained that “the Iraqi militant groups that are sponsored by the Iranian regime, have been dealing with the Syrian regime in a way that would clearly violate… the spirit of the Caesar Act as well as UN Security Council resolutions”.

Iran’s military chief of staff, Mohammad Baqeri, met with the Syrian Minister of Defence in Damascus and inked “a comprehensive military cooperation agreement”. Baqeri reportedly expressed Tehran’s commitment to “strengthen Syria’s air defence systems in line with the reinvigoration of military cooperation between the two countries”, and said the deal “will increase our determination for joint cooperation to confront the U.S. pressures”. The following day, Baqeri met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who remarked that “this agreement reflects the strategic level of relations between Iran and Syria”. A U.S. military spokesperson subsequently asserted that “the mission of U.S. forces in Syria today remains the same as it was when they first began operations in 2014… U.S. service members will continue to execute the Defeat ISIS mission in Syria, working in conjunction with vetted local forces in northeast Syria and around Al-Tanf Garrison”.

Meeting with Russian and Turkish counterparts under the “Astana Process” talks over Syria, President Rouhani asserted that U.S. sanctions against Syria were “economic terrorism” and pledged that Iran “will continue to support the people and the legitimate government of Syria with greater power. He went on to argue that “the illegitimate presence of the occupying forces of the U.S. regime on Syrian soil has become a destabilising factor for Syria and the entire region, and is plundering natural resources of the country by increasing its illegal military bases in Syria's oil-rich in the eastern Euphrates”. Rouhani further condemned “the increasing scope of the Zionist Regime's [ie, Israel’s] aggression on Syrian soil, and maintained that Israel’s “actions along with the occupation of the Golan Heights have been a factor in destabilising and threatening the peace and security of the region, and the occupying regime will face its consequences”. The meeting concluded with a joint statement emphasising that “there could be no military solution to the Syrian conflict and that it could only be resolved through the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254”. It further recognised “Israeli military attacks in Syria as destabilising and violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country and intensifying the tension in the region”.

Prime Minister Netanyahu opined that “three main challenges are before us, and we are taking action without respite against them: First, we are taking constant action against the efforts of Iran and its proxies to entrench militarily in Syria. The Iranian military must leave Syria. Second, we are taking action against the efforts of our enemies to develop precision missiles in Syria, Lebanon and other areas. Third, and most importantly, we will not allow Iran to attain nuclear weapons”. “Iran is continuing to lie to the international community in its effort to achieve a bomb”, Netanyahu argued. “I have been claiming this for years and today the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, understands this”. He further affirmed that “we regard with utmost seriousness the threats of destruction against Israel by Iranian and pro-Iranian elements… Whoever tries to attack us places himself in very great danger”.

Syrian state media reported that “hostile air targets coming from east and northeast of Palmyra launched a number of missiles on some military sites” in eastern and southern Syria, causing two fatalities and four injuries. Hours later there were further reports that “the Israeli enemy launched a new aggression through which it targeted a number of the Syrian military sites” near Hama.

CENTCOM Commander Kenneth McKenzie indicated that “what we're committed to doing in Syria is working with our SDF partners to continue to pursue the remnants of ISIS that exist up and down the Euphrates River Valley, so at the same time, set the conditions for long term stability east of the Euphrates River”. He also noted: “I've been given no direction to pull back right now, and I don't know when that would occur, under what conditions that would occur”.

The sanctions provisions of U.S. “Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019” (the Caesar Act) went into effect. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that “the Treasury Department and State Department are releasing 39 designations under the Caesar Act and Executive Order 13894 as the beginning of what will be a sustained campaign of economic and political pressure to deny the Assad regime revenue and support it uses to wage war and commit mass atrocities against the Syrian people”. Pompeo further asserted that “we anticipate many more sanctions and we will not stop until Assad and his regime stop their needless, brutal war against the Syrian people and the Syrian government agrees to a political solution to the conflict as called for by UNSCR 2254”. 

The U.S. Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, James Jeffrey, reported that “we are concerned about Daesh [ISIS] elements south of the Euphrates in those areas that the [Syrian] regime and its Iranian and Russian supporters control. There has been a significant increase in attacks, and we’re watching that closely because Daesh sees the entire Iraq/Syria area as one single front”. Jeffrey went on to assert that “there’s been no change in the American position that we’re going to continue to maintain forces as long as the Iraqi government is willing to have U.S. and coalition forces present in the country until the enduring defeat of Daesh is accomplished, and it’s not yet accomplished”. He also noted that in Iraq “NATO has taken the decision to expand its current level and current kind of activities which are higher-level headquarters coordination, coaching, training, that sort of thing”.

The foreign ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS Small Group issued a communique reiterating their “shared determination to continue the fight against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and to create conditions for an enduring defeat of the terrorist group, which remains the Coalition’s sole purpose”. The ministers also “welcome[d] the establishment of a new government in Baghdad, and look[ed] forward to engaging in a fruitful dialogue with the government of Iraq on our joint endeavor to maintain pressure on Daesh/ISIS”. “In Syria, the Coalition stands with the Syrian people in support of a lasting political settlement in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254”, the statement added. Speaking at the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi by saying that “we are all committed to your success in support of the enduring defeat of ISIS”, also noting that “we’re sharing the financial burden of Iraq’s immediate recovery”.  

The U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, indicated that “we have seen some tactical displacement of Iranian troops. We see both Russia and Syria recognising the incentives for Iranian troops and forces under Iranian command and control to leave Syria… That has been a condition of American and the international community providing reconstruction assistance”. Hook added that Iran “is an obstacle… to moving along toward a post-conflict political process. So we think that there are increasing incentives for Iran to leave Syria”. Relatedly, the Israeli military reported “a backward movement [of Iranian/Iranian-backed forces] from various locations to other locations that are further away and in reduced numbers”, assessing the shift to be “not massive, not underwhelming” yet “undeniable”.

Outgoing Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett confirmed that “we have intensified the scope of the attacks against Iranian forces in Syria. We’ve made it clear by our actions that there’s no place protected from us. There’s no safe place for those who try to attack the State of Israel”. He further argued that “Iran has in fact started a process of withdrawing from Syria, but we’ve got to finish the job… We have to increase the diplomatic, economic, military and technological pressure, as well as operate in other realms”. The same day, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “we are in Syria to help them fight terrorism… our attendance in Syria does not concern the U.S. and the Zionist regime [ie, Israel] at all”.

A senior U.S. diplomat indicated that “Iran has been persistent in its efforts to establish this beachhead basically on Israel’s border and to bring in advanced weaponry and assets targeting Israel and moving equipment… through Syria to Hizbollah with this sort of land bridge. We see repeatedly, oftentimes with no claims of responsibility, that these assets are being hit with great regularity, just pounded, and it would make sense at a certain point that Iran would want to cut its losses and downsize its presence there just because it’s increasingly costly to them in terms of life and property”. The official added that the Iranians “would be well advised to start using some of this investment in this military infrastructure in Syria and with Hizbollah to start spending some of that money on their own people who are suffering terribly from COVID”.

The U.S. Special Representative for Syria Engagement, James Jeffrey, confirmed that “we see some Iranian movement around Syria pulling back from areas where the Israelis have struck them. We’ve also seen a withdrawal of Iranian-backed militias – some Hizbollah, some from other countries. But this may be chalked up to a relative lull in the fighting”. He further noted that “what we have not seen… is any strategic Iranian commitment not to try to use Syria both as a second launching pad for long-range weapons against Israel and as a conduit – the famous Shiite Crescent – on to provide Hizbollah more lethal and more modern precision-guided missiles, again, to threaten Israel. That would be the big change”. Jeffrey added that “our policy right now is to restore the situation in 2011 before the conflict began, and that would eventually lead to all of the other military forces that have entered leaving. Ones were most interested in, of course, are the Iranians and the Iranian-commanded militias”.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo indicated that “we have been very clear to the Assad regime all along, and to the Russians in Syria: the Iranians need to leave. They need to leave not only the south west corner that has a direct and real impact on Israel and risks to the Golan, but more broadly throughout the country”. He further argued that “the very terror regime that we talk about in the Islamic Republic of Iran has got a campaign that supports what Assad has done that has brutalised and destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands, caused six or seven million people to have to flee Syria. The Iranian regime is responsible for that in the same way that the Syrian regime is”.

Amidst a series of suspected Israeli airstrikes in Syria, Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett asserted that “we are determined, more determined [than Iran], and I can tell you why — for Iran, Syria is an adventure happening 1,000km away from home. For us, it’s our lives”. He further warned that “Iranian soldiers who come to Syria and operate there… are putting their lives at risk, they are paying that price and will continue to do so. We will not give up and we will not allow the establishment of an Iranian forward operating base in Syria”. In related comments, an unnamed Israeli defence official assessed that “Syria is paying a growing price for the Iranian presence in its territory, for a war that isn’t [Syria’s]. Iran has turned from an asset to Syria into a burden”.

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met with President Bashar al-Assad and other senior Syrian officials during a visit to Damascus. Zarif told Assad that “the U.S.’s true intentions have come to light with regards to its refusal to lift unfair sanctions against nations during tough times of fighting” COVID-19, and the two sides discussed bilateral and regional matters including the Astana Peace Process. The U.S. Special Representative for Syria Engagement, James Jeffrey, reacted to Zarif’s trip by asserting: “if Iran were truly concerned about the health and safety of the Syrian people, it would support the UN-led political process under UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and withdraw IRGC, Hizbollah and other terrorist forces under its command from the entirety of Syria… Iran's only contributions to Syria have been violence and instability”. He went on to stress that “we continue to offer humanitarian assistance to help address the coronavirus outbreak, while the Assad regime, Russia and Iran obstruct aid and starve the Syrian people of food and medicine”. 

Israeli Minister of Defence Naftali Bennett indicated that “we are seeing the initial indications of Iran weakening and considering a new tack in Syria”. He added that “[Iranians] are sending forces in order to establish a presence there to exhaust us, but we are turning this disadvantage into an advantage. We have intelligence and operational superiority, and we are telling the Iranians clearly: Get out of Syria… we are moving from a defensive position to an offensive position – to weaken, to exhaust, to tire and wear out the head of the octopus [ie, Iran] in order to weaken its arms”.

Responding to statements by senior Israeli officials about countering Iran in Syria, Iran’s diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “Iran will not compromise and hesitate for a moment to defend its presence in Syria and also defend its national security and regional interests. Consequently, Iran will give a decisive and crushing response to any aggression or stupid act by the Zionist regime [ie, Israel]”.

Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett assessed that “for years on end, we have fought against the Iranian tentacles in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip, but we have not focused enough on weakening Iran itself. Now we are changing the paradigm, we are now engaged in a continued effort to weaken the Iranian octopus through economic, diplomatic and intelligence measures, as well as with military means and various other approaches”. Bennett further addressed Iran and stated: “you have no business being in Syria, and so long as you continue to build terrorist bases there, we will continue to hurt you even further”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met with the UN Special Envoy for Syria, describing a “political solution as the only way out of the crisis” and underscoring “Tehran's full preparedness for any cooperation within the framework of respecting the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria”.

Syrian state media alleged that “Israeli warplanes perpetrated a new aggression on T4 airport from the direction of al-Tanf region… The army air defenses immediately intercepted the hostile missiles and shot down a number of them, meanwhile, four missiles reached the targeted area and the damages were limited to materials”.

In a meeting with the Syrian prime minister, Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani emphasised that “as long as terrorist forces of the U.S. stay in the west Asia region, this region will experience no stability, peace or sustainable security… expulsion of the wicked U.S. is possible through unity of regional nations and governments”.

The head of the IRGC's Qods force, Qasem Soleimani, was killed in a U.S. strike in Baghdad. The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that "at the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani”, adding that "Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region". Iran confirmed Soleimani’s death, and the IRGC said that four other Qods force members along with five Iraqis, notably including a senior Hashd official, were also killed in the operation. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei subsequently asserted that "enemies should bear in mind that the Islamic Republic of Iran will take tough revenge on criminals over the martyrdom of General Soleimani".

The Syrian foreign minister alleged that “the U.S., using its illegal military base in Al-Tanf, sent drones to Homs and committed air strikes by them against the oil refining infrastructure” four days earlier.

President Trump signed the “Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019” (the Caesar Act). In a statement, Secretary of State Pompeo indicated that the act “provides the U.S. tools to help end the horrific and ongoing conflict in Syria by promoting accountability for the Assad regime. It also holds accountable those responsible for the widespread death of civilians and for numerous atrocities including the use of chemical weapons and other barbaric weapons”. Pompeo added that “the law provides for sanctions and travel restrictions on those who provide support to members of the Assad regime, in addition to Syrian and international enablers who have been responsible for, or complicit in serious human rights abuses in Syria”.

Speaking alongside U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Prime Minister Netanyahu remarked that “we have been fortunate that President Trump has led a consistent policy of pressure against Iran. Iran is increasing its aggression as we speak even today in the region. They’re trying to have staging grounds against us and the region from Iran itself, from Iraq, from Syria, from Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen, and we are actively engaged in countering that aggression”. Netanyahu further maintained that “Iran’s aggression is growing, but its empire is tottering. And I say let’s make it totter even further”. Secretary Pompeo, citing unrest in Iraq, Lebanon and Iran, stated that “some of these are people that are seeking freedom and a reasonable way to live, and they recognise the threat that is posed by the kleptocrats that are running the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

Addressing a Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Small Group Ministerial meeting, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted that “we’re watching the space once occupied by this fraudulent caliphate [ie, ISIS] like a hawk. That’s why we’re maintaining our residual presence at Tanf, in southern Syria, and our capacity to conduct air operations. We’ve repositioned some our troops in north east Syria and in the broader region as well, to make sure that ISIS will never get a second wind and to prevent ISIS from recapturing the oil fields”. “We are continuing to pursue a diplomatic resolution of the Syrian conflict with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 as the guide so that stability can, one day, return to this war-torn land”, Pompeo added. The coalition also issued a joint communique.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper stated that “our mission [in Syria] is the enduring defeat of ISIS. We're going to have about 500 to 600-ish troops there, at the end of the day. We're still moving troops out of northeastern Syria”. In related remarks, a U.S. senior official, referring to oil fields around Deir al-Zour, noted that “the oil is – has been, for the last four years, managed by our partner, the civilian side of our partner operation, the SDC [Syrian Democratic Council]… And we have every expectation they will be continuing to do that without any interference from us”. “Our role”, he added, “is one of ensuring that they’re not bothered by anybody in continuing to do what they’ve been doing for the last four years”.

Syria and Russia jointly issued a statement asserting that “in southern Syria, the U.S. continues to hold the illegally occupied 55-km zone around Al-Tanf and prevent the dissolution of the Rukban refugee camp”. “We urge the entire international community to exert pressure on the U.S., which continues to violate the international law by its illegal presence in Syria, and to oblige them to withdraw completely troops from the sovereign Syrian Arab Republic”, the statement added.

A senior U.S. defence official indicated that “the military mission in Syria continues. It is the defeat of ISIS, like it has been since 2014, shoulder-to-shoulder with our SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces] partners”. He further clarified that “the securing of the oil fields is a subordinate task to that mission, and – and the purpose of that task is to deny ISIS the – the revenues from that oil infrastructure”. Another defence official asserted that “everyone in the region knows where American forces are. We're very clear with anyone in the region in working to deconflict where our forces are. If anyone – we work to ensure that – that no one approaches or has – shows hostile intent to our forces, and if they do, our commanders maintain the right of self-defence”. 

The U.S. State Department in its Country Reports on Terrorism 2018 assessed that “the [Syrian] regime continued to provide weapons and political support to Hizbollah and continued to allow Iran to rearm the terrorist organisation”. It further contended that “the Assad regime’s relationship with Hizbollah and Iran grew stronger in 2018 as the regime became more reliant on external actors to fight opponents and secure areas”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif stated that “we will be in Syria as long as the Syrian government and people want”. He went on to say that “it seems that the U.S. is staying to protect the oil and at least President Trump is honest to say what the U.S. intends to do”.

Reaffirming that “the United States will retain control of oil fields in northeast Syria”, U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper stressed that “we will respond with overwhelming military force against any group that threatens the safety of our forces there”. Responding to a question on whether this mission “include[s] denying access, preventing Russian or Syrian forces”, Secretary Esper went on to assert that “the short answer is yes, it presently does, because in that case we want to make sure that SDF does have access to the resources in order to guard the prisons, in order to arm their own troops, in order to assist us with the Defeat ISIS mission. So that's our mission, is to secure the oil fields”. Esper also reaffirmed that “we also were given the earlier directive to retain forces at the Al-Tanf garrison”.

U.S. Secretary of Defence Mark Esper indicated that “the U.S. will maintain a reduced presence in Syria to deny ISIS access to oil revenue as we reposition for the next phase of the Defeat ISIS campaign”. Esper added that “ultimately, we always intended, as the president directed, to maintain a presence at the Al-Tanf garrison”. He also revealed that “we are now taking some action… to strengthen our position at Deir el-Zour, to ensure that we can deny ISIS access to the oil fields”, which “will include some mechanized forces”. Previously, via Twitter, President Trump had stated that “perhaps it is time for the Kurds to start heading to the oil region”.

Secretary of State Pompeo stated that “the U.S. supports UN efforts to end military violence in Syria. Ongoing violence - fuelled by Iran and Russia - is exacerbating Syria’s dire humanitarian situation and must cease for a political solution to take root”.

The U.S. Department of Treasury issued sanctions against “one entity, three individuals and five vessels participating in a sanctions evasion scheme to facilitate the delivery of jet fuel to Russian forces operating in Syria”. In related comments, Secretary of State Pompeo stated that “the U.S. has concluded that the Assad regime used chlorine as a chemical weapon on May 19th in an attack at Latakia province, Syria… the U.S. will not allow these attacks to go unchallenged, nor will we tolerate those who choose to conceal these atrocities”.

Iran’s President Rouhani remarked that “it is strange that the enemies of the region have not yet understood the power of the regional nations’ resistance… instead of admitting that Lebanon’s Hizbollah has high capabilities and power both in scientific and military knowledge and bravery in the field, or that a part of brave young people of Iraq have liberated different cities across the country from the hands of terrorists, and instead of admitting to the growth and greatness of nations like Syria and Yemen, they are seeking to accuse others”.

President Rouhani remarked that “there is only a political solution to the Syrian crisis, and this can only be achieved through constructive interaction and participation by all Syrian people”. He further argued that “U.S. troops must leave the area as soon as possible and that the Syrian government's control must expand in the east and north of the Euphrates, as in the rest of Syria”.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against "sixteen individuals and entities associated with an international network benefiting the Assad regime", including a pair of companies based in Lebanon that "facilitated shipments of Iranian-origin petroleum to Syria".

Secretary Pompeo reaffirmed that “our efforts in Syria are aimed at a political resolution … UN Security Council Resolution 2254 is the guidepost”. Pompeo went on to refer to “the work that we’ve done with the Turks in Manbij, west of the Euphrates River, and we are attempting to set up a system… call it a buffer zone, call it what you will – that will reduce risk of terrorists attacking from Syria into Turkey and reduce risks that Turkey will come south and disrupt Kurdish activity inside of Syria”.​​​​​​

The U.S.’ diplomatic spokesperson asserted that “our maximum pressure campaign on Iran is designed to deny the Iranian regime, the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism, the means to conduct its destructive foreign policy. Our campaign is working”. She elaborated that “the campaign is starving Iran’s proxies of the funds they rely on to operate on behalf of the regime”, citing examples including Hizbollah, Hamas, the Syrian government and Shiite militias in Iraq. She went on to affirm that “we will continue to apply maximum pressure on the Iranian regime to deny it the means to conduct its destructive foreign policy and compel the regime to negotiate a comprehensive new deal that addresses the full scope of its malign behaviour”, while also indicating that “there is a path forward and we will talk tomorrow if they would like to see the bright future that we believe is there for the Iranian people”. The spokesperson further indicated that “we do not want a war with Iran. We want to de-escalate with Iran. In fact, what we seek is to end economic sanctions, to end the maximum pressure campaign”.

The U.S. special representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that “the [Trump] administration is pursuing three mutually reinforcing whole-of-government strategic objectives in Syria – the enduring defeat of ISIS, the removal of all Iranian-led forces from Syria and the resolution of the Syrian crisis through a political solution in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254”. “The Iranian regime’s malign activity has left us no choice but to pursue the withdrawal of all Iranian-commanded forces from the entirety of Syria”, Jeffrey elaborated. “Iran’s reckless behaviour makes the situation in Syria more dangerous… Iranian-backed forces use bases inside Syria to participate in violence again[st] the Syrian people and launch attacks against Israel”. He added that “Iran and its proxies threaten U.S. national security by sowing instability in the region that exacerbates tensions between communities and provides space for terrorist groups to thrive”.

U.S. Central Command indicated that remarks by a senior military official in the U.S.-led counter-ISIS campaign, who had stated that "there's been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria", "ran counter to the identified credible threats". CENTCOM's statement added that "OIR [Operation Inherent Resolve] is now at a high level of alert as we continue to closely monitor credible and possibly imminent threats to U.S. forces in Iraq". 

A senior U.S. military official asserted that "we're going to continue to reach out to our partners and friends in the region to ensure that we make common cause against the threat of Iran... I believe we'll have the resources necessary to deter Iran from taking actions that will be dangerous". He went on to indicate that "over the long term, we're going to reduce our forces in Syria, we recognise that, that's the guidance in which we're operating... that will be something that we will look at very carefully as we go forward". The U.S., he added, would maintain "a long-term presence in Iraq, focussed on the counter-terror mission". 

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif traveled to Damascus for meetings with President Assad and other senior Syrian officials. 

A senior Syrian official asserted that "Syria will liberate the occupied Golan by all means and all choices are on the table". He also argued that "the U.S. administration lies with regard to pulling out its troops, which are illegitimately deployed in Syria, and it isn't our duty to teach them to be honest". 

The U.S. added "dozens of new vessels involved in illicit oil shipments" from Iran to Syria in an update to a November 2018 advisory. A senior Treasury Department official noted that "the U.S. has made it clear to the maritime shipping community that we will not tolerate the use of petroleum as a mechanism to finance rogue regimes in Iran and Syria", adding that "as Iran and Syria attempt to adapt their illicit tactics and shift to new vessels, we will continue to provide these updates to the shipping community". 

The U.S. special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, noted that "we know historically that Iran has given Hizbollah an average of $700 million a year... we have seen evidence of the impact [of U.S. sanctions] when the leader of Hizbollah makes a public appeal for charity. It speaks for itself. This is the kind of impact that we want". He added that "we know that we have denied the [Iranian] regime even in the short amount of time [since sanctions came into effect] many billions of dollars in revenue", and underscored that the U.S. held "talks with any government where we see sanctions violations or even potential sanctions violations". Hook went on to underscore that "we are... committed to ensuring that troops under Iranian command are out of Syria", and suggested Iran had a "vastly-under reported role in Yemen" despite having "no legitimate interest" in the country. "Giving [Iran] a foothold in Yemen", Hook argued, "allows them to threaten two straits of international commerce". 

Iran's military chief of staff met with his opposite numbers from Syria and Iraq, pledging that "measures taken by the three countries will continue until terrorists are fully defeated". He also met with the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus. 

During a trip to Syria, Iran's military chief of staff argued that "all foreign troops who are present in Syria without coordinating with the Syrian government will have to leave the country sooner or later". 

CENTCOM commander Joseph Votel posited that "the U.S. withdrawal from Syria represents the most dynamic shift in the environment since ISIS lost its ability to govern major population centres and fight as a conventional force and could trigger a renewed race for influence, control, and for some, survival". He further stated that "Israel's legitimate concerns about Iran's increasingly provocative actions in Syria, particularly the transshipment of advanced weapons systems into and through Syria, are driving increasingly forward-leaning Israeli military actions". 

President Trump replied to a 22 February letter from members of Congress calling for "a small American stabilising force in Syria" by bracketing a paragraph about ensuring "that ISIS never returns, that Iran is not emboldened" and noting "I agree 100 per cent - all is being done". 

President Trump assessed that "as of probably today or tomorrow, we will actually have 100 per cent of the [ISIS] caliphate in Syria... And we'll leave a small group of guys and gals. But we want to bring our people back home". 

Qods force commander Soleimani described Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's 25 February trip to Tehran as a "celebration of victory", adding that "you saw how Assad hugged the [Supreme] Leader with love, like a son who has been departed from his father. This is not a minor thing". Soleimani also assessed that "the most secure borders of our country is the common border with Iraq, and our friends are ruling the country". 

President Rouhani maintained that "we have achieved good victories in the political and international stages, and we have done great things in the region, parts of which were on the shoulders of the IRGC, the foreign ministry and the economic sectors". He added that the 25 February visit of President Bashar al-Assad "indicates that if we stand by each other, we will be successful". 

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad traveled to Tehran for meetings with senior Iranian officials. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei asserted that "Syria... managed to stand strong against a big coalition of the U.S., Europe and their allies in the region and victoriously come out of it". He also warned that "the question of a buffer zone in Syria that the Americans are trying to create is one of their dangerous plots that must be firmly rejected and opposed". "Iran and Syria", Khamenei added, "are strategic allies and the identity and power of Resistance depends on their continuous and strategic alliance, because of which the enemies will not be able to put their plans into action". President Rouhani pledged that "Iran will stand by the Syria government and people like before". 

Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary, Ali Shamkhani, maintained that "we will stay in Syria and fight against terrorism as long as the legitimate Syrian government would make such requests". Addressing Israel's airstrikes, Shamkhani posited that "Israel is clearly taking steps to serve the interests of terrorists and to counter the Syrian government and army". "We severely responded to the [Israeli] attack on T4 and dealt a heavy blow to them", Shamkhani remarked. "We have made arrangements to protect our red line in the area of human casualties caused by any act of aggression and invasion". He also predicted that "we will soon witness a major upheaval in upgrading the deterrent power of resistance in Syria. I believe that the Zionist regime's officials, particularly their military and intelligence officials, are well aware of this issue. The method for tackling their Zionist regime's attacks on Syria and the axis of resistance in 2019 will be significantly different from the combat methods in the past". "We have accomplished more than 90 per cent of our objectives [in Syria]", Shamkhani maintained. "Thus, the Israeli punitive strikes have had no strategic impact and the resistance has pressed ahead with its activities".  

A U.S. official indicated that that approximately 200 U.S. troops would remain deployed at the al-Tanf garrison even as the U.S. proceeded to significantly reduce its military presence across Syria.

The White House announced that following the withdrawal of U.S. forces, "a small peacekeeping group of about 200 will remain in Syria for a period of time". However, the following day media reports clarified that the figure may actually be 400. 

President Rouhani met with his Turkish and Russian counterparts for discussions on Syria. In a press conference, he suggested that "if the U.S. retreats its forces from Syria, based on our intelligence we know that they will continue to meddle in Syria". Rouhani also posited that "illegal interference in Syria by the Zionist regime [i.e. Israel] is a source of concern for the people of this country and other nations in the region. [The] Israelis bomb anywhere in the region and fly on Lebanese and Syrian soil whenever they wish, and unfortunately, the UN and global authorities are silent about these continued acts of aggression in Syria". 

Secretary Pompeo, in Warsaw for the Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East, described the proceedings as "absolutely historic... the first time in a quarter of a century that you had the prime minister of Israel in the same room talking about threats in the Middle East with senior Arab leaders from all across the Middle East". "This gathering is certainly about Middle East peace and stability," he explained. "You can't talk about that without talking about the threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran, whether it's Hizbollah, Hamas, the Houthis - I call them the three H's - whether it's their work against the Iraqi government... whether it's what they're doing in Syria today". Pompeo also remarked that "we don't expect the Iranian people to support the U.S. We expect them to take care of their own country... we want the Iranian people to have the opportunity to live in a prosperous, peaceful society and one that is controlled by their desires, their wishes. And if we can get that, I am very confident that these behaviours that we see in Iran will change dramatically". On Yemen, Pompeo stressed that "we have two problems - three problems really. The first problem is al-Qaeda... the second problem is Iran continuing to fund the Huthis... it provides missiles to the Huthis that they launch into airports in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates". 

In remarks to a ministerial meeting of the counter-ISIS coalition, Secretary Pompeo maintained that "the drawdown of [U.S.] troops [from Syria] is essentially a tactical change - it is not a change in the mission. It does not change the structure, design or authorities on which the campaign has been based". Pompeo added that "in addition to this coalition's laser-like focus on defeating ISIS, we're committed to the following series of things. First, a political solution in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The removal of all Iranian-led forces from Syria". 

In remarks to a ministerial meeting of the counter-ISIS coalition, President Trump indicated that "the U.S. military, our Coalition partners and the Syrian Democratic Forces have liberated virtually all of the territory previously held by ISIS in Syria and Iraq. It should be formally announced sometime probably next week that we will have 100 per cent of the caliphate". He went on to state that "as countries in the region and across our Coalition step up their commitments, as we continue to destroy the remnants - that's all they have, remnants. But remnants can be very dangerous". 

Ahead of a ministerial meeting of the counter-ISIS coalition, a senior U.S. official noted that "we're entering a very critical phase in which we need to expand the diplomatic cooperation to assist the populations in Iraq and north-eastern Syria recover from ISIS' rule but also maintaining significant pressure on ISIS as it increasingly turns to insurgent tactics to destabilise both north-eastern Syria and Iraq". Another official further indicated that "our three top priorities [in Syria]... continue to be to secure an enduring defeat of ISIS, to see the exit of all Iranian-commanded forces from the entirety of Syria and to reach a political settlement of the conflicts under UN Security Council Resolution 2254". A third diplomat asserted that "we can't turn a blind eye towards the malign activities of Iran throughout the region", adding that "we expect Iran to fully respect the sovereignty of Iraq and other regional states, to cease their destabilising activities and to refrain from actions that enflame sectarian tensions". 

The IRGC's commander warned Israel to "fear the day when Iranian precision missiles hit you and take revenge of all the blood of oppressed Muslims which you have shed". "Iran will keep in Syria all the military and revolutionary advisors, and equipment and weapons which aim to train and empower Islamic resistance forces and support oppressed people of the country", he pledged, adding that "we do not take into account your ridiculous threats. You know that if we have chosen to wait against your hostile measures, some considerations lie behind it". In related comments, Iran's diplomatic spokesperson advised Prime Minister Netanyahu to "know your limits". 

A senior Iranian military official indicated that "as far as terrorists are in Syria and the country asks help from Tehran, Iran will continue its advisory presence in Syria". 

Secretary Pompeo affirmed that "the roughly 2,000 uniformed soldiers that are in Syria today are going to be withdrawn. That activity is underway. We’re going to do so in an orderly, deliberate way, a way that protects America’s national security, a way that allows us to continue the important mission that they were on. The counter-terrorism mission, the effort to make sure that the destruction of ISIS is not only complete but that their resurgence is not possible, our efforts to counter the threat from terrorism stemming from the Islamic Republic of Iran – those are all real missions. The tactical change we’ve made in the withdrawal of those 2,000 troops is just that, a tactical change. The mission remains the same". 

Via Twitter, President Trump indicated the U.S. was "starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. [We] will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20-mile safe zone..." He went on to add that "[we] do not want the Kurds to provoke Turkey. Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long-term U.S. policy of destroying ISIS in Syria - natural enemies". 

Secretary Pompeo acknowledged that the U.S. goal of removing "every Iranian boot on the ground [in Syria] is an ambitious objective... but it's ours. It is our mission". Withdrawing U.S. forces from Syria, Pompeo explained, "is a tactical change. It doesn't materially alter our capacity to continue to perform the military actions that we need to perform. But even more broadly than that, the campaign to create a better world, to allow the Iranian people to have opportunity and democracy, has lots of pieces to it - economic, financial, diplomatic for sure". He went on to suggest that "the nuclear proliferation risks from Iran are incredibly real... our mission set is certainly to stop the terror regime, to stop the fighting of Hizbollah and Shiite militias and the Huthis... but it has a nuclear component". 

Secretary Pompeo pledged that "in Syria, the U.S. will use diplomacy and work with our partners to expel every last Iranian boot". "There will be no U.S. reconstruction assistance for areas of Syria held by Assad", he added, "until Iran and its proxy forces withdraw and until we see irreversible progress towards a political resolution". 

Secretary Pompeo remarked that President Trump has "made a commitment. We're going to withdraw our uniformed personnel, uniformed guys, 2000 roughly folks on the ground. We're going to withdraw them from Syria". 

National Security Advisor John Bolton described the U.S. base at al-Tanf as "still very strategically important in connection with our determination that Iran not achieve this arc of control stretching from Iran through Iraq into Lebanon and Syria". 

A senior U.S. diplomat explained that "concerning Syria, we have no timeline for our military forces to withdraw... the President has made the decision that we will withdraw our military forces from Syria, but that it will be done in a deliberate, heavily coordinated way with our allies and partners". The diplomat went on to assert that "our military posture in Syria may be changing, but our overall goals in Syria remain the same, and key among those is... to see the withdrawal from Syria of all Iranian-commanded forces". 

Secretary Pompeo remarked that "the President is not ambiguous with respect to Syria. Our troops are coming out. The President also made very clear that we needed to continue the counter-ISIS campaign, and we needed to continue to ensure that we did the things to create stability throughout the Middle East. The counter-Iran campaign continues. We'll do all of those things......we will simply do it at a time when the American forces have departed Syria". Pompeo also discussed U.S. sanctions against Iran, stating that while "a well-supplied crude oil market" was a consideration for issuing sanctions waivers, "we want to ensure that we're complying with the requirements that the sanctions on Iran have the ultimate goal which we're trying to achieve: creating an outcome where the Iranian people... can have better lives than they have today under this tyrannical regime". 

President Trump asserted that "Iran is no longer the same country. Iran is pulling people out of Syria. They can do what they want there, frankly. But they're pulling people out. They're pulling people out of Yemen". "When we do all of the things that we've done monetarily to Iran", he added, "Iran is in trouble. And you know what? I'd love to negotiate with Iran. They're not ready yet, I don't think. But they will be. But Iran is a much different country right now... than it was when I took over". Asked about a timetable for pulling U.S. forces out of Syria, Trump responded that it would occur "over a period of time. I never said I'm getting out tomorrow. I said we're pulling our soldiers out, and they will be pulled back in Syria, and we're getting out of Syria... but we're getting out very powerfully". 

President Trump asserted that "ISIS is mostly gone", adding that "we're slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting ISIS remnants". 

Iran's military chief of staff posited that "the U.S. pullout from Syria is a humiliating withdrawal", adding that "wherever Americans have been present, they caused insecurity... the [U.S.] exit from Syria and other parts of the region will lead to enhanced security and calm in the region". 

During a visit to Iraq, President Trump asserted that "there will be a strong, deliberate and orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria... while maintaining the U.S. presence in Iraq to prevent an ISIS resurgence and to protect U.S. interests, and also to always watch very closely over any potential reformation of ISIS and also to watch over Iran. We'll be watching". The trip drew criticism from Iraqi parliamentarians as well as PMU officials. 

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif opined that "the U.S. has not fought against ISIS at all, and its presence in Syria is not in line with the interests of the Syria nation or agreed by the [country's] government". He went on to state that, following President Trump's decision to pull U.S. forces out of the country, "we do not have sufficient information on the U.S. plans in Syria to adopt a clear-cut stance". 

President Trump announced that "Saudi Arabia has now agreed to spend the necessary money needed to help rebuild Syria". 

President Trump indicated that the U.S. military withdrawal from Syria would be "slow and highly coordinated". 

Reacting to President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, Iran's Foreign Ministry opined that "in principle, the deployment and presence of U.S. forces in the region from the outset was a wrong, irrational and provocative move that created tensions". A senior Iranian military official also weighed in saying that "the Americans have come to the conclusion that they can exercise power neither in Iraq and Syria nor in the entire region". 

President Trump asserted that "on Syria, we were originally going to be there for three months, and that was seven years ago - we never left... now ISIS is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains". 

Elaborating on his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, President Trump asserted that "getting out of Syria was no surprise... Russia, Iran, Syria and others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there [sic] work. Time to come home and rebuild". He went on to state that "Russia, Iran, Syria and many others are not happy about the U.S. leaving... because now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us." 

Explaining the U.S. decision to withdraw from Syria, Secretary Pompeo stressed that "the primary mission was to go take down the ISIS caliphate. That is at the very tail end of completion. And we have ISIS remnants in lots of pockets around the world". He added that the U.S. "intends to continue that counter-terrorism campaign, continue the fight against ISIS, whether it stems from Syria or other places". 

President Trump announced that "we have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump presidency", while a White House statement indicated that "we have started returning U.S. troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign". 

Prime Minister Netanyahu revealed that in conversations with President Trump and Secretary Pompeo, "the American administration told me that it is the president's intention to withdraw their forces from Syria. They made it clear that they have other ways of expressing their influence in the area". Netanyahu went on to say that "this is, of course, an American decision. We will study its timetable, how it will be implemented, and - of course - its implications for us. In any case we will take care to maintain the security of Israel and to defend ourselves in this area". 

A senior Russian defence official maintained that the U.S. was "holding with incomprehensible stubbornness the occupied 55-km area around al-Tanf where 6,000 armed militants are on the loose and are preventing the disbanding of the Rukban refugee camp". In related comments, a Russian diplomatic spokesperson suggested that "there is growing concern related to the dubious activity of the U.S. and its allies in Syria. The illegal occupation of the 55-km zone around the base in al-Tanf continues to be the basic source of destabilisation in that part of Syria". 

Referring to the U.S. presence at al-Tanf, Russia's Foreign Ministry remarked that "under the excuse of fighting against ISIS and - as we were told - in order to contain Iran, a big U.S. military base was set up there, in a strategically important area adjacent to the borders of Syria, Iraq and Jordan, which is close to the highway connecting Baghdad and Damascus. And there, according to numerous witness accounts, militant training is underway". 

The U.S. special representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, laid out U.S. objectives in Syria as "the enduring defeat of ISIS, a re-invigorated and irreversible political process... and de-escalation of the conflict that will include all Iranian-commanded forces departing from the entirety of Syria". Jeffrey elaborated that "on getting Iran out, that is basically part of a process. It's not a military goal of the U.S., it's not a mission of U.S. military forces... you will not have a lasting peace in Syria if Iran is doing the kind of power projection policies out of Syria that it has done through Hizbollah in southern Lebanon and done through the Huthis in northern Yemen". 

The U.S. special representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, opined that the "Iranians are part of the problem not part of the solution" in Syria, and noted that the U.S. was "contesting more actively Iran's activities particularly in Iraq, Syria and Yemen". 

Syria's foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, claimed that "under the pretext of supporting Syria Kurds, the U.S. has established bases in the north of Syria and a base in al-Tanf in the south, which is actually used to reorganise ISIS terrorists to fight the Syrian Arab Army". 

The commander of U.S. Central Command, Joseph Votel, remarked during a visit to the al-Tanf garrison that "we don't have a counter Iranian mission here. We have a defeat ISIS mission. But I do recognise that our presence, our developments of partners and relationships down here does have an indirect effect on some malign activities that Iran and their various proxies and surrogates would like to pursue down here".

A senior U.S. diplomat asserted that "we want to see the Iranians leave Syria... and frankly, even the Russians tell us that's their goal. So there seems to be some consensus that the Iranians and their forces inside Syria should leave Syria". 

Referring to the al-Tanf garrison, a senior Syrian official claimed that the U.S. is "gathering the remnants of ISIS at this base in order to later send them to wage war on the Syria army". 

The U.S. special representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, assessed that Iran's involvement in Syria reflects "capabilities that we would associate with power projection over the region. Very similar to what we've seen in southern Lebanon, very similar to what we have seen in northern Yemen". He went on to suggest that "a military presence long term, including power projection - which the Iranian seem to be aiming for - is a little bit more than their minimum goals and seems to be frosting on the cake. What we're trying to suggest is let's put pressure on them to leave". "We're not going to force the Iranians out of Syria", Jeffrey added. "This is all about political pressure". 

A U.S. military official indicated that military exercises involving U.S. forces and U.S.-backed rebels in al-Tanf "was conducted to reinforce our capabilities and ensure we are ready to respond to any threat to our forces within our area of operations". The Pentagon also confirmed that Russia had been advised of the drills. 

In remarks at the trilateral summit on Syria, President Rouhani urged that "the presence and illegal interference of the U.S. in Syria, which has led to the continuation of insecurity in that country, must be ended immediately". 

The Pentagon announced a "defeat-ISIS exercise" at the al-Tanf garrison. 

A senior U.S. official indicated that "the new policy [in Syria] is we're no longer pulling out by the end of the year". 

U.S. defence officials indicated that Russia had warned of possible operations near al-Tanf to counter "militants" within the de-confliction zone. A Pentagon official remarked that "the U.S. does not seek to fight the government of Syria or any groups that may be providing it support. However, if attacked, the U.S. will not hesitate to use necessary and proportionate force to defend U.S., coalition or partner forces". 

During an encounter with a senior Russian military official, Iran's defence minister, Amir Hatami, estimated that "victories [against terrorists in Syria] are only halfway, and operations need to continue in full coordination, and the military achievements need to be protected in all other arenas". 

Several Iranian and Iran-backed troops were purportedly killed or injured in an airstrike near al-Tanf; the U.S.-led coalition acknowledged that the garrison "received fire from unknown forces" but "did not fire back". 

Elaborating on the 26 August cooperation deal between Iran and Syria, a senior Iranian military official revealed that "the continuation of presence of Iranian [military] advisors in Syria was one of the points of the defence and technical agreement". 

Iran and Syria signed a military cooperation agreement which Iran's defence minister, Amir Hatami, declared would "define the areas of presence, contribution and cooperation between Tehran and Damascus". Hatami also indicated that "Iran's private sector has high enough to capacities to help the Syrian people and government in the reconstruction process", and suggested that Iran "can help Syria to develop military equipment". 

A senior Russian diplomat asserted that "we treat Iran's steps to furnish its own security and activities with great respect, specifically in Syria at the invitation of this country's legitimate government. However, this does not mean that there are no prospects or room for further efforts in this sphere". 

The Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, suggested that "all foreign forces staying [in Syria] without an invitation from the Syrian government must be eventually withdrawn". 

The U.S. national security advisor, John Bolton, asserted that "our interests in Syria are to finish the destruction of the ISIS territorial caliphate and deal with the continuing threat of ISIS terrorism and to worry about the presence of Iranian militias and regular forces". Bolton added that "we're going to see what we and others can agree in terms of resolving the conflict in Syria. But the one prerequisite there is the withdrawal of all Iranian forces back in Iran". 

A U.S.-backed Syrian rebel group "detained twelve suspicious persons transiting inside the coalition-held 55-km de-confliction zone around Tanf", five of whom were subsequently alleged to be ISIS fighters. 

A senior Russian military official claimed that "the number of ISIS militants has been growing in areas adjacent to the al-Tanf zone controlled by U.S. troops". 

Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, asserted that "we have good communication and coordination with Russia and with the Syrian government and we will continue to do so. Our objective here is very clear, that is our objectives and the objective of the Russian Federation and that is to fight terrorism and extremism". 

An Iranian official opined that "neither Russians nor Europeans are in a position to decide on the withdrawal of Iranian military advisors from Syria".

The U.S. national security advisor, John Bolton, opined that "the president has made it clear that we are [in Syria] until the ISIS territorial caliphate is removed and as long as the Iranian menace continues throughout the Middle East". 

A senior Iranian official remarked that "Iran's presence in Syria and Iraq is advisory and if their respective governments want it, we will leave immediately". He went on to suggest that "the U.S. is seeking to divide Iraq into three parts and Syria to five". 

A senior U.S. diplomat asserted that "we are very serious and determined about re-imposing our sanctions that were lifted under the Iran nuclear deal, and we are working very closely with nations to provide alternatives to the Iranian supply of oil". The official also called on "all nations to be vigilant about Iran using embassies as diplomatic cover to plot terrorist attacks".

The secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, asserted that "the Iranian presence in Syria is not appropriate and will not be tolerated... we are going to undertake along with our partners a comprehensive program to diminish that activity".

The UK reportedly carried out an airstrike against "pro-Syrian regime forces" near al-Tanf in June.  

The U.S. rebuffed reports that it had hit a Syrian military position near al-Tanf, while acknowledging that a U.S.-backed Syrian rebel group was involved in a clash with an "unidentified hostile force" beyond 55-km buffer.

A U.S.-backed Syrian rebel group captured over $1 million worth of drugs from ISIS inside the al-Tanf de-confliction zone. 

Bashar Assad stated that "the Americans say they are ready [to leave Tanf], but everyone knows that the Americans are historically professional liars in politics... we have to wait and see". 

A senior Syrian official cautioned against accepting "statements on an agreement about the south of Syria unless the U.S. withdraws its forces from the al-Tanf area". 

A senior Syrian diplomat asserted that "whether Iranian forces or Hizbollah withdraw or stay in Syria is not up for discussion". 

President Rouhani discussed the U.S.-led strikes on Syria with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, telling Putin that the "attack on Syria shows that we are facing new problems and issues in the final fight against terrorism in Syria, and we should have more consultation and cooperation". 

Responding to the suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma on 7 April, the U.S., the United Kingdom and France struck targets in Damascus and Homs that the Pentagon characterized as "Syrian chemical weapons infrastructure". According to President Trump, "the purpose of our actions...is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread and use of chemical weapons".