Trump urges Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli forces from Syria and Lebanon

U.S. President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that Israel should begin pulling its troops out of Syrian territory and do the same in southern Lebanon. According to U.S. and Israeli officials cited by Axios, Trump said, “They don’t want you there. You should redeploy,” adding the same message for Lebanon. The call came a day after Trump met Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, as the administration seeks a new security arrangement with Syria.

Israel currently controls large parts of southern Syria and southern Lebanon, arguing the presence is needed to deter Hezbollah and Iranian‑backed forces. Netanyahu, facing a national election in three months, is unlikely to make a significant withdrawal, and senior Israeli officials have pushed for indefinite control of the occupied zones, with some even advocating Jewish settlements. U.S. mediators are meeting Israeli and Lebanese diplomats in Rome to implement a framework agreement that obliges Israel to withdraw from two “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon, a step that has not yet been completed.

Trump also suggested that Syria’s new president could take on Hezbollah, describing a Syrian approach as “more precise” and less destructive than Israeli operations. The pressure adds to an already tense diplomatic environment as Washington tries to balance its alliance with Israel against broader regional stability.