Saturday’s attack was the first with fatalities since the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad a year ago.

The United States has had troops on the ground in Syria for over a decade, with a stated mission of fighting IS. While not part of its official mission, the U.S. presence has also been seen as a means to hinder the flow of Iranian and Iran-backed fighters and weapons into Syria from neighboring Iraq.

The number of U.S. troops in the country has fluctuated and currently stands at around 900. They are mainly posted in the Kurdish-controlled northeast and at the al-Tanf base in the southeastern desert near the borders with Iraq and Jordan.

Here’s the back story and present situation of the U.S. military force in Syria:

What U.S. forces are doing in Syria

In 2011, mass protests in Syria against the Assad government were met by a brutal crackdown and spiraled into a civil war that lasted nearly 14 years before he was ousted in December 2024.

Wary of getting bogged down in another costly and politically unpopular war in the Middle East after its experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, Washington sent support to rebel groups but at first avoided direct military intervention.

That changed after the rise of the IS, which carried out sporadic attacks in the U.S. and Europe, while in Iraq and Syria, it seized territory that was at one point half the size of the United Kingdom. In the areas the group controlled, it was notorious for its brutality against religious minorities, as well as Muslims whom it considered to be apostates.

In 2014, the administration of then-U.S. President Barack Obama launched an air campaign against IS in Iraq and Syria. The following year, the first U.S. ground troops entered Syria, where they partnered with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the country’s northeast.

By 2019, IS had lost control of all the territory it once held, but sleeper cells have continued to launch attacks.

The US military and Syrian forces

Before Assad’s ouster, Washington had no diplomatic relations with Damascus and the U.S. military did not work directly with the Syrian army.

That has changed over the past year. Ties have warmed between the administrations of U.S. President Donald Trump and Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former leader of an Islamist insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that used to be listed by Washington as a terrorist organization.

In November, al-Sharaa became the first Syrian president to visit Washington since the country’s independence in 1946. During his visit, Syria announced its entry into the global coalition against the Islamic State, joining 89 other countries that have committed to combating the group.

While the entry into the coalition signals a move toward greater coordination between the Syrian and U.S. militaries, the Syrian security forces have not officially joined Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led military mission against IS in Iraq and Syria, which has for years partnered with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria.

The future US footprint in Syria

The number of U.S. troops posted in Syria has changed over the years.

Trump tried to withdraw all forces from Syria during his first term, but he met opposition from the Pentagon because it was seen as abandoning Washington’s Kurdish allies, leaving them open to a Turkish offensive.

Turkey considers the SDF a terrorist organization because of its association with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged a long-running insurgency in Turkey.

The number of U.S. troops increased to more than 2,000 after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas in Israel, as Iranian-backed militants targeted American troops and interests in the region in response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

The force has since been drawn back down to around 900, but Trump has given no indication that he is planning a full withdrawal in the near future.

After Saturday’s attack, U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack posted on X: “A limited number of U.S. forces remain deployed in Syria solely to finish the job of defeating ISIS once and for all.”

The U.S. presence “empowers capable local Syrian partners to take the fight to these terrorists on the ground, ensuring that American forces do not have to engage in another costly, large-scale war in the Middle East,” he said, adding, “We will not waver in this mission until ISIS is utterly destroyed.”

Jay-Z’s MarcyPen Capital Partners has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s Hanwha Asset Management to launch a $500 million “K-culture” investment fund.

Via the fund, the companies plan to “accelerate the global expansion of K-culture and lifestyle industries.”

The news arrives amid the global surge in Korean culture and entertainment, popularized by superstar K-pop acts such as BTS and Stray Kids, as well as entertainment brands like Netflix‘s Squid Game series, the wildly successful K-pop Demon Hunters animated film, and its blockbuster soundtrack.

MarcyPen is a private equity firm formed in September 2024 from the merger of Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners and Pendulum Holdings’ investment arm Pendulum Opportunities.

Marcy Venture Partners was founded in 2018 by Jay-Z, Roc Nation co-founder Jay Brown, and venture capitalist Larry Marcus, while Pendulum Holdings was founded in 2019 by Robbie Robinson — a former financial advisor to President Barack Obama.

The firm, which manages over $900 million in assets, announced the agreement with Hanwha during Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025.

The announcement noted that MarcyPen brings “extensive experience” in consumer-facing businesses, including entertainment companies and beauty brands.

The partnership with Hanwha positions the firm to identify and support “high-potential Asian companies” seeking global expansion.

Under the MOU, both companies will collaborate to identify investment opportunities in “innovative companies” across the region.

The partnership marks a significant collaboration between the US-based investment company and a prominent South Korean asset management firm.

As of the end of 2024, Hanwha had USD $70.55 billion in assets under management (AUM).

“K-culture and lifestyle industries are reshaping consumer trends around the world.”

Jong-Ho (James) Kim, Hanwha Asset Management.

“K-culture and lifestyle industries are reshaping consumer trends around the world,” said Jong-Ho (James) Kim, CEO of Hanwha Asset Management.

“This MOU lays an important groundwork for us to support high-potential Asian companies as they advance onto the global stage.

“Leveraging our experience and investment expertise throughout Asian markets, Hanwha Asset Management is committed to delivering steady, practical support for Korean and Asian companies aiming to expand globally.”

“South Korea has become a cultural hub in Asia, influencing global trends across beauty, content, food, entertainment, and lifestyle.”

Robbie Robinson, MarcyPen

Robbie Robinson, CEO of MarcyPen, emphasized the strategic positioning of South Korea in the global cultural landscape. “South Korea has become a cultural hub in Asia, influencing global trends across beauty, content, food, entertainment, and lifestyle,” he said.

“Through the collaboration we began at ADFW 2025, we look forward to identifying new investment opportunities in innovative companies across the region.”

Music Business Worldwide

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