Syria Preparing Attack Against Hezbollah in Lebanon at Trump’s Request

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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has proposed military plans against Hezbollah that can be activated if needed by U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel’s Kan News reported on July 21, citing a Syrian security source.

“There’s a gap between what’s said publicly and what’s discussed behind closed doors,” the source said, referring to al-Sharaa’s previous denial of any plans to attack Hezbollah.

According to the source, senior officials within Syria’s security establishment have issued instructions “to act against every presence of Hezbollah on the ground, and to dismantle it.”

Earlier in the day, Trump renewed his suggestion that neighboring Syria should intervene militarily in Lebanon to help disarm Hezbollah while meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House.

Hezbollah and the current Islamist-led government in Damascus fought on opposite sides of the Syrian civil war. The Shiite group backed the government of President Bashar al-Assad, while al-Sharaa was a rebel commander who, early in the war, led the al-Qaeda branch in the country.

Trump took the opportunity during the meeting with Aoun to express his admiration for al-Sharaa once again, signaling his support for a Syrian intervention in Lebanon.

“He’s pulled Syria together. He would like to come in and do something with Hezbollah. You know, they’ve been fighting. He’s been fighting Hezbollah for a long time. I think it’d be very effective. So it’s something I think about,” he said.

Al-Sharaa has already denied any intention of intervening in Lebanon more than once, but there have been credible reports of a Syrian military buildup along the border with the country, mainly near Hezbollah’s strongholds in Baalbek-Hermel and the Beqaa Valley.

Last week, Al-Akhbar revealed that al-Sharaa was given a pointed piece of “advice” by the Iraqi government to stay away from Lebanon.

According to the Lebanese news outlet, Iraqi officials told Damascus that “any Syrian involvement in the Lebanese arena would have direct repercussions on Syria itself,” and made clear that Baghdad would not simply watch from the sidelines “should the Shia community in Lebanon or Hezbollah face any threat originating from Syrian territory, [as] Iraqi resistance factions will not stand idle.”

The line drawn by Baghdad was explicit: “every Syrian step toward Lebanon could be followed by an Iraqi step toward Syria.”

Still, al-Sharaa may take the risk and attack Hezbollah, simply because he is in no position to refuse Trump, who has provided him with substantial political support.

Such a move could spark a broader sectarian conflict in the region. Iraqi armed factions loyal to Iran appear to have already decided to intervene against Syria if this happens. The Islamic Republic could also get involved, most likely by launching direct strikes against Damascus. Such a conflict may be exactly what the U.S. is after.

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