US to establish military presence in Syria for first time in six years

The Reuters report suggests that parts of this area could be absorbed into a demilitarised zone under the potential security deal, which could be enforced by US troops.

Damascus has denied the report as "false", while a Trump administration spokesperson said the US was "constantly evaluating our necessary posture in Syria to effectively combat ISIS".

But such a move would reflect an increasing trend of Syria's apparent pro-Western alignment under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former Al Qaeda fighter whose rebel forces overthrew the Assad regime in December.

Since taking power, al-Sharaa has significantly softened his jihadi rhetoric, pledged to implement democratic reforms and promised a crackdown on terrorism.

Both the US and UK have de-proscribed his Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) movement, while the US has lifted its sanctions on the country entirely.

And, on Thursday night, the UN Security Council backed an American-led motion to lift UN sanctions on Syria.

President Trump has previously indicated that Syria will join the Abraham Accords, thereby establishing full diplomatic relations with Israel, in the future, and has expressed optimism that a security pact is achievable in the interim.

It comes after Washington confirmed a new addition to the Accords in the form of Kazakhstan.

While the Central Asian state has maintained diplomacy with Israel since 1992, Trump is said to see it as a significant inclusion, since it is a non-Arab but Muslim-majority country.

"It will become the alliance for Arab-Muslim ties with Israel," one US official told the Times of Israel.

Likewise, Vice President JD Vance told reporters Kazakhstan’s involvement would give the Accords "momentum".

"What the president has done is signal that the momentum of the Abraham Accords is alive and well in the second administration," he told reporters.

"It’s not just going to be Kazakhstan, but also several other countries that join in the months to come."

"You’re now creating a partnership that brings special and unique economic development on all sorts of issues… The strength of it is to have majority Muslim countries and the Jewish state able to partner on things to show the world that it is possible," added Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

However, the prospective jewel in the crown of the Accords - Saudi Arabia - remains elusive.

Trump indicated during a recent speech that he was hopeful the Kingdom would join, but clarified that he was "not lobbying" for it.