US President Donald Trump has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to begin withdrawing Israeli military units from southern Syria and Lebanon. The appeal was reportedly made during a telephone conversation last week, according to Axios, which cited American and Israeli officials.

Trump cautioned that Israel’s continued military footprint inside Syrian territory risked fuelling greater regional volatility. “They don’t want you there. You should redeploy,” Trump told Netanyahu, according to a US official. The same message was delivered regarding Israel’s strategic positioning in southern Lebanon.

The discussion took place a day after Trump met Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey. During the summit, Washington advanced initiatives to establish a new security matrix between Israel and Syria.

The White House declined to comment on the specifics of the telephone exchange but did not deny the report. A US official told Axios that Trump maintains a strong relationship with Netanyahu, stressing that Israel has always been a close ally of the United States. The official added that “there has been no greater friend to Israel and a fighter for peace than President Trump.”

Netanyahu reportedly rejected Trump’s demand, insisting that Israel’s tactical military presence was essential to secure its borders. In an official statement, the Prime Minister’s Office emphasised the need for security zones along Israel’s frontiers. Axios reported that the Trump administration has been working for months to negotiate a new security accord between Jerusalem and Damascus.

US officials explained that Washington has been pursuing a phased drawdown of Israeli forces from Syrian sectors occupied after the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024. However, Netanyahu is said to remain reluctant to concede the strategic ground requested by Washington.

The matter has gained urgency following recent confrontations in southern Syria, where local populations staged demonstrations against the Israeli presence and clashed directly with IDF personnel. These developments coincide with US‑backed negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, which resumed in Rome on Tuesday.

American intermediaries engaged with Israeli and Lebanese delegations to discuss the implementation of a framework agreement unveiled weeks earlier. Under the arrangement, Israel pledged to withdraw from two pilot zones in southern Lebanon, enabling Lebanese armed forces to take control. Yet the IDF has not redeployed from the designated areas.

Beirut has demanded a transparent timeline for further withdrawals, while Israeli representatives insist that the pilot zones must first be verified as free of Hezbollah weapons and combat networks. Lebanese authorities argue that US forces should conduct the verification.

The diplomatic manoeuvres are unfolding against a backdrop of intensifying regional friction. Earlier on Wednesday, the US military re‑established a naval blockade of Iranian ports after Tehran launched strikes against commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

This action has complicated a fragile provisional pact intended to limit the scope of conflict. Trump’s direct pressure on Netanyahu also comes at a politically sensitive moment, with Israeli general elections scheduled in approximately three months.

Senior figures within Netanyahu’s cabinet reportedly support retaining permanent strategic oversight of zones in southern Syria and Lebanon, contending that such deployments are vital to prevent a repeat of a 7 October‑style attack.

ANI