Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa Meets with President Trump // Photo: @realDonaldTrump on Truth Social
Could a Stable Syrian State be Trump’s Lasting Legacy?
As Syria continues to forge a path towards stability after 13 years of civil war, the new government is diligently working towards reestablishing its sovereignty and taking control of its borders. For example, Syria and Russia reached an agreement earlier this month to transition the last two Russian bases on Syria’s Mediterranean coast to Syrian control. Meanwhile, Syria still faces significant headwinds as Israel continues to attack its territory, further highlighting the challenges to consolidating a stable Syrian state. These two developments underscore the complexity of Syria’s road to recovery, but they also allow the U.S. to step up as a meaningful partner and present an opportunity for President Trump to establish a lasting legacy.
Under former President Bashar al-Assad, Syria allowed Russia to operate over 100 military sites on its soil which served as Russia’s footholds in both the Mediterranean and the Middle East. After the new Syrian government came into power, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov revealed that this number had shrunk to only two: Hmeimem air base and Tartus naval base. Sana, Syria’s national news agency, broke the news of the recent agreement, attesting Syria will assume management of civilian-use facilities while the two countries will redefine the role of military facilities as joint training and qualification centers.
With the signed agreement on these Russian bases, Syria has taken the next step to cement control over its territory. Currently Russia, Türkiye, and Israel are the only verified foreign military presences remaining in the country, with Türkiye controlling portions of northern Syria and Israel holding territory in the south. Türkiye says it is focused on maintaining the stability of post-Assad Syria so extremists cannot use it as a staging ground, while Israel would prefer a weak and fragmented Syria to avoid a strong neighbor capable of threatening its northeastern border. Syria’s continued cooperation with Türkiye highlights its willingness to tolerate the Turkish presence in the north, most likely due to their shared vision of a stable Syria.
On the other hand, Syria is opposed to Israel’s occupation of its territory but does not have much recourse to contest Israel’s encroachment. As shown by its newest airstrikes, Israel’s unprovoked and expanding campaign against Syria has swelled far beyond the contested territory in the south. These strikes were aimed at the Abu al-Duhur military base in Idlib, a city in northwest Syria. The Syrian government labels the attack as an unjustified act of aggression, and its timing—just days after a Turkish delegation visited the airbase—suggests Israel is attempting to dissuade Syria and Türkiye from reactivating Assad-era military sites. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the strikes, claiming Israel “will not tolerate a Turkish military entrenchment in Syria.”
Because of Trump’s close relationship with Netanyahu means he is uniquely capable of both promoting long-term regional stability and supporting the new Syrian government in the face of Israel’s offensive. By capitalizing on this situation, the U.S can work to repair its image amidst the war in Iran while fostering a deeper partnership with Syria. Russia’s deal with Syria does not completely end its involvement in the country; however, it does indicate that Russia is too preoccupied with its war in Ukraine to focus its resources on the Middle East.
The U.S. can solidify its partnership with Syria by convincing Israel to restrain itself, thereby taking advantage of Russia’s retrenchment and finally expelling it from the region. The U.S. has already denounced the airstrikes, with the U.S. special envoy for Syria and Iraq calling them an “unnecessary escalation;” however, Israel is unlikely to back down unless Trump himself takes action. No other world leader has the same capability to influence Israel’s behavior, and projecting strength on this matter could begin to rehabilitate Trump’s image both at home and abroad.
If President Trump wants to leave a lasting positive legacy despite his current struggles in Iran, resolving the dispute between Israel and Syria could provide a highly visible win for his administration. If successful, a Trump-brokered deal between Syria and Israel would certainly be remembered alongside Carter’s Camp David Accords and Clinton’s Israel–Jordan peace treaty and further weaken overall Iranian influence in the region. Trump is in dire need of an international victory, and while this cannot overshadow the disorder caused by the war in Iran, he could utilize it to once again forward his claim of acting as a peacemaker. No matter what his true reason is for taking on this strategy, the end result would benefit both the region and America’s image abroad.
