US Strengthens Syria Bases as Damascus Considers Security Deals

By Staff, Agencies

United States forces increased logistics and weapons deliveries to their bases in northeastern Syria, while Damascus explores a range of diplomatic and security deals with regional powers and local groups, with unclear goals.

Airborne deliveries to Kharab al-Jir and an earlier ground convoy to Qasrak came against the backdrop of President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s outreach to Moscow, steps to incorporate the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF] into national structures, and reports that Ankara is preparing arms transfers tied to wider deals.

Local monitoring groups and regional outlets reported that a US cargo aircraft landed at the Kharab al-Jir airbase in the Rmeilan area on Monday evening, carrying military and logistical equipment, and that the arrival was accompanied by two military helicopters.

The deliveries were described as including air-defense systems, heavy weapons, and other supplies intended to sustain and reinforce coalition positions in northeast Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights [SOHR] said.

A separate overland convoy, reported to have crossed from Iraq's Kurdistan region, reached the Qasrak base in northern al-Hasakah on October 18. The SOHR said the convoy comprised roughly 20 trucks carrying equipment and fuel tankers.

Analysts said the movements are part of routine resupply operations but also signal continued US logistical commitment to its positions in the sensitive region.

Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa traveled to Moscow on October 15 for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first high-level meeting since Sharaa took office.

The discussions addressed the future of Russia’s bases in Syria and wider security and economic ties.

Reportedly, al-Sharaa pressed Moscow on a range of issues, including the fate of former president Bashar al-Assad, who remains in Russia, while seeking guarantees for Damascus’s security needs and assistance in rebuilding Syrian state institutions.

The US-backed SDF and Damascus recently began integrating SDF units into Syria's national army. However, full implementation will be complex due to political sensitivity, particularly with Ankara's labeling of the SDF as linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK], a group it considers a terror organization.

Bloomberg reported that Turkey is ready to provide military equipment to Damascus, including armored vehicles, drones, and air-defense systems, in exchange for security guarantees addressing Turkish concerns about Kurdish groups. If finalized, this deal could significantly shift Ankara-Damascus relations and impact operations in northern Syria.

Damascus is reportedly strengthening ties with Moscow, negotiating with the SDF, and exploring deals with Ankara, while Western forces continue to resupply their positions.

This dynamic creates a shifting security landscape, with redrawn military balances and high risks of missteps among state and non-state actors.