Damascus denies Reuters report on planned US base in Syria

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has denied a Reuters report alleging that the United States is preparing to establish a military presence at an airbase in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

A Foreign Ministry source told the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Thursday that "there is no truth to what Reuters published regarding American bases in Syria".

The official said the current phase "is witnessing a shift in the American position toward direct engagement with the central Syrian government, supporting efforts to unify the country, and rejecting any calls for partition".

He added that work was underway to "transfer partnerships and understandings that were previously forced with temporary entities to Damascus, as part of joint political, military, and economic coordination".

According to SANA, the source affirmed that "Syria, in its new era, is moving steadily toward consolidating stability and strengthening cooperation based on national sovereignty and mutual respect".

The remarks came in response to a Reuters report published earlier on Thursday, citing six "well-informed" sources - including Western and Syrian defence officials - who claimed Washington was planning to establish a military presence at a Damascus airbase as part of a US-brokered security agreement between Syria and Israel.

Reuters quoted one Syrian defence official as saying that U.S. forces had flown into the base aboard C-130 transport planes "to test the runway’s operational suitability", while a security guard reportedly told the agency that "American aircraft landed there as part of field tests".

A Western military source said "the Pentagon accelerated its plans over the past two months through several reconnaissance missions to the airbase", confirming that "results showed the long runway is ready for use".

Two Syrian military sources cited by Reuters said discussions had focused on using the facility for logistics, surveillance, refuelling, and humanitarian operations, while Syria would "retain full sovereignty over the installation".

A US administration official declined to confirm the report, saying Washington "continually assesses the necessary presence in Syria to effectively combat ISIS", but added, "We do not comment on locations or potential locations where our forces operate".

The official also said the US had asked that the base’s name and location not be disclosed "for operational security reasons".

Reuters further reported that the plan was discussed during a visit to Damascus by US CENTCOM commander General Brad Cooper on 12 September, though it said "it is not yet clear when American personnel will be deployed to the Damascus airbase".

According to the agency, the new plan would resemble other US military presences in Lebanon and Israel that monitor ceasefire agreements between Hezbollah and Israel, and between Hamas and Israel.

The United States has maintained troops in northeastern Syria for nearly a decade to combat the Islamic State group alongside the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). In April, the Pentagon announced plans to halve that force to about 1,000 soldiers.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was quoted as saying that "any American military presence must be agreed upon with the new Syrian state". Officials from both sides told Reuters that Syria is expected to join the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS.

Reuters also reported that Washington has been pressing Syria and Israel to finalise a security agreement, initially expected to be announced during the UN General Assembly in September, though talks stalled at the last minute.

A Syrian source told the agency that "Washington is pressuring Syria to reach an agreement before the end of the year, possibly before President al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington."