US Media: Trump asks Netanyahu to withdraw troops from Syria and Lebanon

On July 15, Axios quoted U.S. and Israeli officials as reporting that U.S. President Trump recently said in a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the Israeli army should start redeploying troops from Syria and urged Israel to take similar actions in Lebanon. Trump believes that the presence of Israeli troops in areas controlled by Syria aggravates regional tensions and may lead to an escalation, and told Netanyahu: "They don't want you there. You should redeploy." Netanyahu stressed that Israel needs to maintain a security buffer zone at the border. According to reports, the Trump administration has been pushing Israel and Syria to reach new security arrangements for several months, hoping that the Israeli army will gradually withdraw from the Syria territory it has controlled since the fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024, but believes that Netanyahu has no intention of making relevant concessions. In addition, the United States has recently held mediation on the implementation of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire framework and promoted the withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of southern Lebanon, but the withdrawal timetable still remains divided.