By The South Asia Times

DAMASCUS - Syria's self-appointed president, Ahmed al-Sharaa -- the former Al Qaeda leader formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani -- has called for the disarmament of Hezbollah amid the escalating US-Israeli war on Iran and Lebanon, according to a report by American-based TMJ News Network.

Al-Sharaa's remarks came during a video conference with top European officials as fighting intensifies between Hezbollah and Israel, with cross-border strikes and military operations escalating along Lebanon's southern border and now spreading to the eastern Bekaa region.

The call for Hezbollah to surrender its weapons aligns precisely with US and Israeli demands and raises questions about the direction of Syria's new leadership, installed after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in a campaign that analysts say enjoyed significant backing from Washington, Ankara, and Gulf states.

Al-Sharaa's journey from internationally designated terrorist to de facto Syrian ruler represents one of the most remarkable -- and, to some, alarming -- transformations in recent Middle East history.

As Jolani, he led Jabhat al-Nusra, a group that originated as Al Qaeda's official affiliate in Syria and was responsible for numerous attacks against both regime forces and Western-backed rebels. The US government had a $10 million bounty on his head.

Yet following the NATO and Gulf-backed insurgency that ousted Assad -- a close ally of both Russia and Iran -- al-Sharaa was installed in Damascus.

He has since sought to rebrand himself as a pragmatic leader, exchanging his militant nom de guerre for his birth name and presenting a more moderate public face.

Analysts believe this transformation would not have been possible without at least tacit approval from regional and international powers eager to sever Syria from the Iran-Russia axis.

- Playing Washington and Tel Aviv's game

Al-Sharaa's call for Hezbollah's disarmament comes at a critical moment. Israeli forces have been attempting to infiltrate Lebanon's eastern Bekaa region using Syrian territory, in what sources describe as an effort to recover the remains of Israeli warplane pilot Ron Arad, who crashed in Lebanon in 1982.

According to TMJ News Network, Hezbollah has repelled these infiltration attempts twice, demonstrating that the Lebanese resistance movement remains operational despite sustained Israeli pressure.

By demanding Hezbollah lay down its weapons, al-Sharaa is effectively endorsing the Israeli position that the group -- which played a crucial role in defending Syria's previous government and maintaining the axis of resistance against Israel -- should be neutralized.

The alignment between al-Sharaa's statement and US-Israeli war aims appears more than coincidental. President Donald Trump recently hinted at the arrangement, suggesting that Washington sees value in al-Sharaa's leadership in Damascus.

Analysts interpreting Trump's remarks note that the US has long sought to sever the link between Iran and Hezbollah through Syrian territory. With Assad gone and a leadership in Damascus that appears willing to accommodate Israeli security demands, that strategic objective may finally be within reach.

"He was installed with support from the US, Israel, and Turkiye to remove Assad, who was very close to Russia and Iran," one regional analyst told The South Asia Times. "Now al-Sharaa seems to be playing directly from the Washington and Tel Aviv playbook."

The call for Hezbollah's disarmament carries profound implications for Lebanon, where the group remains both a major military force and a critical political actor. For years, Hezbollah has justified its arsenal as necessary to defend Lebanon against Israeli aggression -- a rationale that recent Israeli cross-border incursions only reinforce.

If Syria, once Hezbollah's primary land bridge to Iran and a key supporter of the group, now aligns with those seeking to strip it of its weapons, the strategic balance in the Levant could shift dramatically.