The story
President Donald Trump has floated an idea that many in the Middle East thought had long been buried: allowing Syria to take on Hezbollah inside Lebanon.
Presented as a possible alternative if Israel cannot achieve its military objectives, the proposal has triggered concern well beyond the battlefield. For many Lebanese, it recalls nearly three decades of Syrian military dominance that ended only in 2005. For Syria’s new leadership, it risks pulling a fragile state into another regional conflict just as it is trying to rebuild at home.
Details
- According to The New York Times, Trump has repeatedly suggested in recent weeks that Syria could do a better job confronting Hezbollah as he grows frustrated with the prolonged conflict and its impact on broader regional diplomacy.
- Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has firmly rejected the idea, saying Damascus has no intention of entering another war or restoring the old model of Syrian control over Lebanon.
- Lebanese leaders have also sought to calm speculation. President Joseph Aoun said al-Sharaa’s remarks effectively closed the door on talk of a Syrian military role, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed Syria’s assurances that it respects Lebanon’s sovereignty.
- Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem dismissed Trump’s proposal as part of what he described as a joint U.S.-Israeli effort to eliminate the group, adding that Damascus had refused to participate.
Why the proposal is so risky
The controversy is about far more than military operations.
Any Syrian military deployment inside Lebanon would reopen one of the country’s most painful historical chapters. Syrian forces remained in Lebanon for nearly 29 years after entering during the civil war, leaving behind deep political divisions and lasting resentment over their influence.
Analysts say even a limited intervention aimed at Hezbollah could reignite sectarian tensions, weaken Lebanon’s already fragile institutions, and revive disputes over Syrian influence that have shaped Lebanese politics for decades.
The proposal also comes at a difficult moment for Syria. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the new government has focused on restoring security, rebuilding institutions, and stabilizing a country devastated by years of civil war.
Lina Khatib, an associate fellow at Chatham House, warned that encouraging Syria to intervene in Lebanon would likely destabilize both countries. She argued that such a move could inflame sectarian tensions in Lebanon while giving Hezbollah an incentive to expand the confrontation into Syria.
Background
Relations between Damascus and Hezbollah have changed dramatically since Assad’s downfall.
Under the former government, Syria served as Iran’s main land corridor for supplying Hezbollah with weapons and funding, while Hezbollah fighters played a key role in defending Assad during Syria’s civil war.
The government led by Ahmad al-Sharaa has taken a different course. Damascus has distanced itself from Iran and its regional allies, tightened border security, and targeted smuggling networks that Syrian authorities say are linked to Hezbollah. The group has denied those accusations.
Recent troop movements near the Lebanese border, combined with Trump’s comments, fueled widespread speculation that Syria was preparing to intervene. Syrian officials, however, have repeatedly said the deployments were routine defensive measures, while independent fact-checking organizations found no evidence of preparations for an incursion into Lebanon.
What to watch
There is no indication that Damascus is prepared to act on Trump’s proposal, and Lebanon has shown no interest in inviting Syrian forces back onto its territory.
Even so, the suggestion reflects Washington’s growing confidence in Syria’s new leadership. It also places Damascus in a delicate position: preserving closer ties with the United States without becoming entangled in a conflict that could undermine Syria’s own fragile recovery and reopen one of the region’s most sensitive fault lines.
