Trump urges Syria to intervene against Hezbollah in Lebanon

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly hinted that Syria could take on the role of confronting Hezbollah in Lebanon, expressing disappointment that Israel has failed to neutralise the militia. In a June interview he said he was “about to hand over Lebanon to Syria,” and later suggested Washington might advise Damascus to help "deal with Hezbollah."

Syria’s interim president Ahmed al‑Sharʿ and other Syrian officials deny any preparation for a military move, stating that troop movements near the Lebanese border are routine defensive deployments. The Syrian Human Rights Observatory reported normal troop presence in the Homs region, while a Syrian security source dismissed claims of “exceptional reinforcements.”

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack also rejected reports that Washington encouraged Syrian forces to enter Lebanon, calling such claims “false and inaccurate.” Social‑media videos purporting to show Syrian armor on the Lebanon border were later identified as old footage from Iraq, and fact‑checking platforms labelled related rumors as misinformation.