The Trump administration has asked Israel to halt its air- and artillery strikes on Syrian Army positions in southern Syria, according to an American official quoted by Israeli Channel 12 and confirmed in a separate Axios report. Israeli officials told Washington the attacks would stop on Tuesday evening, 15 July. The United States reiterated the request on Wednesday, urging Jerusalem to open a direct dialogue with the government in Damascus to ease tensions. A senior U.S. official said Washington is “very close” to securing an agreement that would formalise a de-escalation framework between the two countries. U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack held a series of calls on 15 and 16 July with Israeli minister Ron Dermer, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pressing Israel to “pause and take a breath,” the official said. Washington fears that continued Israeli strikes could further destabilise the Syrian government and complicate broader regional diplomacy.