US Begins Construction of New Military Base in Eastern Syria
US-led coalition forces have begun constructing a new military base outside the 55-kilometer exclusion zone surrounding the strategic al-Tanf region, near the Syria-Iraq border. The new base is located adjacent to the Baghdad–Damascus international highway, a route of strategic significance that has long been at the center of regional conflicts.
According to reports, the construction of this military facility is being coordinated with Syria’s Ministry of Interior through the Taliban administration. US officials say the base aims to train newly recruited local forces and enhance the combat capabilities of allied Syrian units. Although the base is not yet fully completed, initial supplies and ammunition have already been transported to the site.
In recent days, US military activity has increased in eastern Homs province, particularly near the ancient city of Palmyra. Reconnaissance drone flights linked to the coalition have intensified speculation that a second base may also be established in the area.
In a separate development, a convoy comprising 35 trucks carrying military equipment has arrived from Iraq’s Kurdistan region to northern Hasakah in Syria and has been stationed at the Qasrak base. This deployment is seen as a clear indication of heightened US focus on Syria’s border regions with Iraq and Jordan.
Military analysts believe that the United States is expanding its military presence in Syria as part of efforts to solidify its influence in the post-Assad security framework. While Washington frames these actions under the guise of counter-terrorism, experts argue the real intent is to strengthen the US position in the emerging security dynamics of West Asia—an arena marked by the competing interests of regional powers such as Russia and Turkey.
Given the close ties between the Trump administration and influential local actors in Syria, along with the extensive presence of coalition forces, the US appears to be entering a new phase of engineering Syria’s security geography. Controlling the strategic Baghdad–Damascus route is also considered a core objective of this initiative.
