Media Report: US Pressures Syria to Aid Israel in War Against Hezbollah, Damascus Anxious

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is reportedly pressuring Syria to send troops to eastern Lebanon to help disarm Hezbollah. However, Damascus, as reported by Reuters and cited by Middle East Monitor on Wednesday (18/3/2026), is reluctant to fulfil the US request, fearing it could be drawn into a wider conflict and trigger sectarian tensions.

In its report, Reuters quotes several sources revealing that the US proposal has been presented to the Syrian government as part of efforts to disarm Hezbollah. It is known that Hezbollah militants have been assisting Iran in attacking Israel since 2 March 2026 as part of retaliatory strikes following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to the aforementioned sources, including two Syrian officials and two individuals familiar with the discussions, the idea of asking Syria to help disarm Hezbollah emerged late last year. The US then realised this idea by submitting a proposal to Syria since the war with Iran broke out.

Two Syrian officials said Washington made the request shortly after the war began, while a source from Western intelligence circles said the same. Reuters stated that it had “spoken to 10 sources for this article - six from Syrian officials and government advisers, two Western diplomats, one European official, and one intelligence source from a Western country. All said the Syrian government is considering a cross-border operation but remains hesitant.”