Moscow has once again raised concerns about “unusual” movements by US forces in Syria, as Alexander Lavrentyev, the Russian president’s special envoy to Syria, discussed the outcomes of the 20th round of Astana talks. He confirmed that Moscow has received information corroborating Washington’s efforts to strengthen its presence in Syria.
Addressing the Astana talks and the Syrian-Turkish rapprochement, Lavrentiev emphasized that Syria, Turkey, and Iran have agreed on the “road map” proposed by Russia to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus, as reported by the Russian agency “Sputnik.”
Lavrentiev further stated that all parties involved have endorsed the road map’s concept, which aims to facilitate the advancement of normalized relations. He explained that each party has expressed their viewpoints and proposals, which now need to be organized and coordinated. While acknowledging that this process will require some time, Lavrentiev emphasized the importance of maintaining a progressive approach to the normalization process, with unanimous agreement among all stakeholders.
Regarding US actions in Syria, Lavrentiev emphasized that Moscow possesses information indicating a reinforcement of Washington’s military presence in the region.
In light of these developments, sources from the Rukban camp, situated on the Jordanian-Syrian border in close proximity to the US base in Tanf, reported to Al-Mayadeen Net that the United States seeks to preserve the camp’s existence and prevent its dismantling from both the Syrian and Jordanian sides. This effort, backed by Russian support, allows the US to maintain the pretext for its forces’ continued presence at the Tanf base.
The Washington-based Syrian Emergency Organization has recently launched a humanitarian aid operation called “Syrian Oasis,” aimed at delivering assistance to approximately 8,000 individuals with the support of US military cargo planes. The organization highlighted that the Pentagon has played a crucial role by facilitating aid transfers to the camp through the Denton program, utilizing available space on US military aircraft that regularly travel to the Tanf base.
Over the past two months, Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern regarding what it perceives as “unusual” US military movements in Syria. Specifically, Moscow has emphasized that a significant portion of these movements originates from the Tanf base. On June 8th, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service reported that the United States is allegedly preparing terrorist attacks in densely populated areas and government institutions in Syria, with plans involving collaboration between militants and secret cells of extremist organizations.
According to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, the coordination of these illicit activities takes place at the US military base in Tanf, which serves as a training ground for dozens of ISIS fighters. The report further suggests that the Americans regularly replenish the ranks of terrorists and release them from prisons in the occupied northeastern part of Syria. Additionally, trucks transport small arms, ammunition, and anti-tank missile systems to these training camps.
It is widely believed that Washington assigns high priority to its presence in Tanf due to the strategic location of the region. Al-Monitor previously confirmed reports indicating that Israeli aviation leverages the US presence at this base to gather intelligence for conducting military operations in Syria.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
