US envoy Barrack denies report on requesting Syrian troops to 'fight Hezbollah' in Lebanon

US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack has denied a recent report that Washington was encouraging Damascus to "take action" against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Barrack took to X to refute a Reuters article published on Tuesday, which stated that the US was trying to convince President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government to send forces to eastern Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.

Barrack on Wednesday described the claims "false and inaccurate", which comes amid a buildup of Syrian forces on the Lebanon border.

Citing officials, Reuters said the idea was first discussed last year, and brought up again following the onset of the joint US-Israeli war on Iran, which was launched on 28 February.

The report said, however, that Damascus had been "carefully weighing the plan" but remained "hesitant", amid fears of Syria being dragged into a war, which could reignite sectarian flames.

Syria, subject to over a decade of civil war caused by Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown on peaceful demonstrations in 2011 amid the Arab Spring, is still on the path to recovery after rebels ousted the former president in a surprise offensive in December 2024.

Since then, Syria has sought the lifting of US sanctions on the country, as well as its support politically and economically, as Damascus continues to rebuild the country devastated by regime and Russian bombing.

The article also quoted a senior Syrian official, noting that Damascus and its Arab allies had agreed that Syria should remain out of the war and limit its actions to defensive measures.

Following the outbreak of the US-Israeli aggression on Iran, Syria has moved cautiously, only taking up measures such as deploying thousands of forces and rocket units near the Lebanese border for security purposes.

In the aftermath of Assad’s toppling, Syria has sought to have positive relations with Lebanon, despite historic enmity with Hezbollah, which had fought in support of Assad during the civil war.

The disarmament of Hezbollah remains a contentious issue, with the US and Israel applying persistent pressure on Beirut to follow through with the move, which is among the conditions of the November 2024 ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.

Barrack and other US Middle East envoys have frequently paid state visits to Lebanon to follow up on the disarmament progress, and have frequently voiced dissatisfaction with a lack of progress.

Israel has recently threatened "on the ground" action to disarm the group, after near-daily strikes on Lebanon despite a truce being in place.

Lebanon was dragged into the wider Middle East conflict on 2 March, triggered by the US and Israeli aggression on Iran, after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel has gone on to lead an intensified military campaign in the country, having killed at least 912 people as of Tuesday. Over one million people have also been displaced.