Shifting Sands: How the Incoming Trump Administration Could Shape Syria’s Future

The Syrian conflict, now entering its second decade, has left the nation fractured, its people devastated, and the region embroiled in complex power struggles. While the Obama and Biden administrations adopted a cautious approach—prioritizing counterterrorism and avoiding deeper involvement in regime change—the incoming Trump administration signals a potential departure from this strategy. With a focus on counterterrorism, possible collaboration with Russia, and increased pressure on Iran, President Trump’s policies could redefine U.S. involvement in Syria. These shifts carry significant implications for the country’s stability, the broader Middle East, and U.S. global leadership.

Trump has repeatedly emphasized the eradication of ISIS and other extremist groups as a top priority on numerous occasions. However, recently he remarked on social media that Syria simply “wasn’t our fight.” This shouldn't surprise anyone who has been paying attention to Trump’s foreign policy during his first term.

I think as much as Trump’s non-interventionist methods might seem ideal and clean-cut, various factors have yet to manifest. We have yet to see where the Kurdish allies fit into the upcoming Trump era. Whether they are utilized or abandoned is yet to be determined.

Trump's former advisor Sebastian Gorka recently called for the United Kingdom to take back their citizens stranded in Syria. This would include Shamima Begum, who left for Syria to join ISIS back in 2015. Begum recently lost her final appeal last year against the rescinding of her British citizenship. Considering the UK’s multiple issues of Islamist extremism, I predict most people and members of the government will not entirely welcome this.