Trump urges Israel to begin troop withdrawal from Syria, Lebanon
The push followed Trump’s meeting with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa as Lebanon-Israel talks continued in Rome.
U.S. President Donald Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to begin withdrawing Israeli troops from Syria and Lebanon during a phone call last week, according to an Axios report citing U.S. and Israeli officials. Trump said Israel’s military presence in Syria was fueling tensions and risked widening the escalation. The call came a day after Trump met Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Netanyahu’s office said Israel still views a security zone along the border as necessary. At the same time, Lebanese and Israeli delegations continued talks at the U.S. Embassy in Rome. A Lebanese diplomatic source said the Lebanese army was ready to gradually take over areas left by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.