Damascus to intensify attacks on Hezbollah, Iranian forces in Syria, says U.S. envoy

Syria will step up its attacks on foreign terrorists in its country as Damascus looks to assist the U.S. in its goal of curbing the regional influence of the Islamic State, Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack announced Wednesday. 

Mr. Barrack’s announcement follows Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House on Monday. During his summit with President Trump, Mr. al-Sharaa reportedly agreed to work with the U.S. to root out terrorist organizations in Syria. 

“Damascus will now actively assist us in confronting and dismantling the remnants of ISIS, the IRGC, Hamas, [Hezbollah], and other terrorist networks, and will stand as a committed partner in the global effort to secure peace,” Mr. Barrack wrote on X. 

The diplomat added that the successful integration of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces into the regular Syrian army is essential to the process. The Kurdish SDF is expected to integrate fully into the Syrian military by the end of the year, but clashes between the two parties have complicated efforts. 

Mr. Barrack’s comments come as Mr. al-Sharaa’s government works to rebuild institutional credibility and security following the fall of the Bashar Assad regime and the end of the Syrian Civil War last December. During the war, Islamic terror organizations fighting against, or for, the Assad government contributed to violence in Syria. 

Mr. al-Sharaa told The Washington Post this week that his government had already driven IRGC and Hezbollah troops out of the country and plans to work with U.S. leadership to ensure the groups do not resurface. Both Hezbollah and the IRGC were key allies of the Assad regime during the civil war. 

Mr. al-Sharaa hopes his anti-terror pact with the U.S. will convince regional rivals like Israel to respect his new government. Syria is in direct negotiations with Israel over a “disengagement agreement” that would build a framework for peace along the southern border. Israel has launched dozens of attacks on Syrian military targets since Mr. al-Sharaa took office in December. 

In his comments on Wednesday, Mr. Barrack also called on U.S. lawmakers to formally repeal the Caesar Act sanctions to speed up Syria’s recovery. Mr. Trump’s administration has remained largely united in favor of repealing sanctions, and the State Department issued another sanctions waiver this week.  

“We call upon and urge Congress to take this historic step,” Mr. Barrack wrote. “We have come far, but now need one strong final push to empower the new Syrian government to restart its economic engine and allow the Syrian people and their regional neighbors to not only survive but to thrive.”