U.S. Analysis: Syrian intervention could benefit Hezbollah

A report published by the U.S. magazine Foreign Policy argues that any Syrian military intervention in Lebanon, even if aimed at confronting Hezbollah, could produce the opposite effect by giving the group an opportunity to regain legitimacy and mobilize its supporters at a time when it is facing unprecedented pressure.

12 June, 2026 23:21

NEWS DESK

According to the analysis by researcher Ahmad Sharawi of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the administration of Donald Trump is considering a larger Syrian role in curbing Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon. While Damascus has reasons to oppose Hezbollah—due to its past support for the government of Bashar al-Assad and its use of Syrian territory for weapons transfers—the report warns that sending Syrian forces into Lebanon could allow Hezbollah to rebrand itself as a "resistance" movement against foreign intervention.

The author stresses that many Lebanese still carry memories of the Syrian military presence in Lebanon between 1976 and 2005, making any return of Syrian troops highly sensitive among various Lebanese factions, including groups opposed to Hezbollah.

The analysis concludes that Syria's most effective role would be to tighten border controls and prevent weapons smuggling to Hezbollah through Syrian territory rather than becoming directly involved in Lebanon. It also calls on Washington to support security cooperation between Syria and its regional partners to disrupt Hezbollah-linked smuggling networks without giving the group a pretext to revive its "resistance" narrative and rally public support.

ANHA