FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks to reporters after attending a closed-door briefing, on the death of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Gina Haspel at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., December 4, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a frequent defender of the president, said a decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw troops from Syria would be “a mistake”.

“An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for ISIS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia. I fear it will lead to devastating consequences for our nation, the region, and throughout the world,” Graham said in a statement. “It will make it more difficult to recruit future partners willing to confront radical Islam. It will also be seen by Iran and other bad actors as a sign of American weakness in the efforts to contain Iranian expansion.”

The United States is considering a total withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria as it winds up its campaign to retake all of the territory once held by Islamic State, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.