US President Donald Trump's suggestion that Syria should take responsibility for confronting Hezbollah instead of Israel has prompted concern in both Lebanon and Israel, despite Damascus insisting it has no intention of intervening militarily.
As the White House has become increasingly critical of Israel's prolonged military campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, Donald Trump has repeatedly argued that Syria's new Islamist-led government would be better placed to deal with the militant organisation.
Speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit earlier this month, the US president said Israel's war against Hezbollah had continued for too long and caused too many civilian deaths.
“You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody,” he said, adding that Syria could “do a better job” of handling Hezbollah.
He later repeated the proposal in an interview with Fox News, saying he was considering allowing Syria to take over the task because he believed the government of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa could conduct more targeted operations. The White House declined to elaborate, referring to Trump's earlier public remarks.
Damascus swiftly rejected any suggestion that it was preparing for military action in neighbouring Lebanon. In a speech on 13 June, Ahmad al-Sharaa dismissed reports of possible Syrian intervention as false, saying his government instead supported a permanent end to the fighting, stronger Lebanese state institutions and closer economic cooperation between the two countries.
In a later interview with Emirati broadcaster Al Mashhad, the Syrian president said Trump's comments had been misunderstood. He said Syria had proposed peaceful solutions to Washington focused on ending the conflict and promoting political, economic and social stability in both Lebanon and Syria rather than military action.
Although al-Sharaa previously led insurgent forces fighting former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during Syria's civil war, his government has consistently said since taking power in December 2024 that its priority is rebuilding the country rather than seeking revenge against Hezbollah, which backed Assad during the conflict.
Syria also remained outside the recent conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran, while reinforcing its border with Lebanon to prevent weapons smuggling and stop the fighting from spilling onto Syrian territory.
In March, Syria accused Hezbollah of firing artillery shells into its territory, an allegation the Lebanese group denied. The tensions later eased following mediation efforts by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Al-Sharaa has also said he remains open to dialogue with Hezbollah and has offered to help mediate discussions among Lebanon's political factions over the future of the group's weapons.
Despite Syria's repeated denials, Trump's proposal has revived longstanding concerns in Lebanon, where memories of Syria's military presence, which lasted until 2005, remain strong. There are also fears that sectarian violence in Syria could spread across the border.
Regional analysts have questioned the practicality of the proposal. Randa Slim, director of the Middle East Program at the Washington-based Stimson Center, said the idea reflected a poor understanding of conditions on the ground.
She said Syria was still struggling to recover from years of civil war, while its security forces remained fragmented and included foreign Islamist fighters whose loyalties were uncertain.
Israel is also monitoring developments closely. Since al-Sharaa took power, Israeli forces have occupied a strip of southern Syria and remain cautious about the country's new leadership. Israeli officials are also watching growing competition with Turkey, a key supporter of the new Syrian government, for influence in Syria.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said senior security officials met this week to discuss the situation. While Israel remained concerned about Syria potentially regaining political influence in Lebanon, the official said its primary security focus continued to be Hezbollah.
