Pentagon Head Says Middle East Decisions Rest with Trump Amid US Troop Withdrawal Talks

2025-02-10 06:53:39

(MENAFN) The head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, stated on Friday that decisions regarding the Middle East, including any potential US troop withdrawal from Syria, are made by President Donald Trump, based on the country’s strategic interests.

"I look forward to talking about our alliance with Australia, but as it pertains to the Middle East, those are decisions made by the President of the United States looking at all our strategic interests," Hegseth told reporters before a meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles.

Hegseth's comments followed reports that the Department of Defense is considering plans to pull US troops out of Syria.

"Here at the Pentagon, what we do is: We plan. So, we're going to plan for every possible contingency, no matter what," he explained. "But ultimately, we would be getting ahead of ourselves if we were determining or certainly declaring what our intentions would be in the short, medium or long term."

Last month, Trump was asked whether he had informed the Israeli government about the possible withdrawal of US troops from Syria.

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