U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to begin withdrawing Israeli forces from Syrian territories, while also urging a similar move in southern Lebanon. This request was made during a phone call between the two leaders, as reported by Axios citing American and Israeli officials.
According to an American official, Trump explained to Netanyahu that the continued Israeli military presence in Syria contributes to rising tensions and risks triggering further escalations in the region. "They don’t want you there... You need to redeploy," Trump reportedly said, adding that the same assessment applies to Israel’s presence in Lebanon.
The Israeli Prime Minister's office confirmed that Netanyahu emphasized the importance of maintaining security zones along Israel’s borders, arguing that these areas are essential for the country's security.
This conversation occurred a day after Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed Shara on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, as Washington seeks to advance de-escalation efforts and establish new security understandings between Israel and Syria.
American officials indicated that the Trump administration has been striving over the past months to reach a security agreement between the two sides. However, they concluded that the Israeli government is not yet willing to make key concessions, primarily involving a gradual withdrawal from the Syrian areas occupied since late 2024.
In Lebanon, the U.S. continues to mediate the implementation of recent security understandings, amidst Lebanese demands for Israeli troop withdrawal from remaining occupied regions in the south and the establishment of a clear timetable for completing the withdrawal process.