The US is preparing to withdraw its remaining troops from Syria in the next few months, a senior White House official has told the BBC.

The official said there was an agreement that the Syrian government was willing to take the lead in fighting terrorism in the country and that a "large" US military presence was not necessary.

US troops have been in Syria since 2015 as part of a counter-terrorism campaign to defeat the Islamic State group (IS).

US President Donald Trump's decision comes as tensions between his country and Iran in the Middle East have escalated. Trump has been deploying US forces near Iran, in defiance of his decision.

BBC Verify has confirmed that the USS Abraham Lincoln, a carrier strike group capable of carrying fighter jets, is near Iran.

The official said the decision to withdraw the remaining 1,000 troops from Syria was part of a transition of power in the country and that the US would remain prepared to respond to any threats in the region.

US troops withdrew from two bases in Syria earlier this year.

The military took the step in response to significant security improvements in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime in 2024 and the weakening of the Islamic State.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Trump at the White House in November, making him the first president in Syrian history to do so.