Why Trump’s push for Syria to confront Hezbollah is an unlikely bid
Trump’s proposal faces resistance from Damascus, skepticism from experts and opposition across Lebanon’s political spectrum.
President Donald Trump reignited debate over possible Syrian intervention in Lebanon, saying he believes Syria is better equipped to fight Hezbollah than Israel because Israeli forces, who have been at war with the Iran-backed group for decades, “can’t do the job without killing everyone else.”
Trump’s comments Tuesday on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, France, mark his most overt push so far for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to fight Hezbollah, amid persistent reports that he had conveyed the demand to Syrian officials as recently as last week.
Trump's stance contrasted with an earlier rebuttal of similar reports by his Syria and Iraq envoy, Tom Barrack. In a March 17 post on X, Barrack said, "Reporting regarding the United States encouraging Syria to send forces into Lebanon is false and inaccurate."
Well-placed sources insisted that the Trump administration has not made a formal request of Damascus to join the fight against the Iran-backed militia. However, Trump’s comments in Evian made it irrevocably clear that the idea remains firmly planted in his mind.
