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Coalition Welcomes Syria as 90th Member, Endorses Detainee Transfers to Iraq

Ministers in Riyadh prioritized moving ISIS detainees and pressed for repatriation from al-Hol, Roj.

A convoy of Syria's Interior Ministry security forces arrives at Qamishli International Airport, eastern Syria, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, under an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) aimed at stabilizing a ceasefire. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)
Internal security officers with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands guard as a convoy of Syria's Interior Ministry security forces arrives at Qamishli International Airport, eastern Syria, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, under an agreement aimed at stabilizing a ceasefire. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad)

Overview

  • Coalition members said they stand ready to work directly with Damascus after Syria joined the 90-nation effort and took part in the Riyadh meeting.
  • The U.S. military began relocating some of the roughly 9,000 ISIS detainees from northeast Syria to secure facilities in Iraq last month.
  • Officials praised Iraq for taking custody of transferred detainees, with Iraqi authorities beginning investigations into arrivals.
  • Coalition statements urged third countries to repatriate their nationals from al-Hol and Roj and emphasized dignified reintegration, noting Syria’s late-January takeover of al-Hol.
  • The United States welcomed a ceasefire between Damascus and the SDF that includes folding SDF forces into the national army, as Syrian government units moved into parts of al-Hasakah and reviewed key sites in Qamishli.