Reuters: US Offered Syria To Support Israel's Fighting In Lebanon
- 18.03.2026, 14:52
Negotiations are underway.
The US has suggested Syria send troops to Lebanon, where Israel is already conducting its operation, Reuters reported, citing sources. Western diplomats and intelligence sources said the US was discussing the Syrian army's involvement in countering Hezbollah in the east of the country.
Washington has not officially confirmed such talks. A military source in Syria said Damascus believes the country should refrain from taking part in the war and there is no final decision. Syria fears possible retaliation from Iran as well as internal destabilization among Shiite minorities.
Since February, Syria has increased its military presence on the border with Lebanon and deployed thousands of troops. Authorities say these are defensive measures. Damascus has also assured Beirut that it respects Lebanon's sovereignty and has no plans to intervene. The Lebanese side says it has not received signals about a possible military operation from either the US or Syria.
The Israeli army announced the expansion of the ground operation in Lebanon on March 16. As explained by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, the fighting will continue until southern Lebanon is completely cleared of Hezbollah. However, several Israeli media outlets note that following the operation, the IDF plans to maintain its presence in southern Lebanon indefinitely. More than one million Lebanese have already left the south of the country and the outskirts of Beirut over the past two weeks due to the expansion of Israel's bombardment. Such figures were cited by Lebanon's Ministry of Social Affairs, which is in charge of housing refugees.
The Donald Trump administration is considering other ways to pressure Iran. Trump has been in talks with Kurdish leaders in Iran and Iraq, offering support if they speak out against Iranian authorities. A spokesman for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan said Washington had made its position explicit: the Kurds must choose sides - either with the US and Israel or with Iran. Victoria Tylor, director of the Middle East program at the Atlantic Council, notes that Kurdish forces inside Iran are limited in numbers and are unlikely to be able to garner broad support outside their regions.