Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a radio interview on Sunday that Syria will not enter Lebanon to fight Hezbollah, pushing back on an idea floated by U.S. President Donald Trump. Al-Sharaa said Syria can be relied on to help find a safe path to a solution, but that does not mean war. He described Syria’s role as entirely positive and said he wishes “a happy life” for Lebanon’s people.
Al-Sharaa also warned that Hezbollah is increasingly being viewed by some countries as part of the “Iranian file,” calling that a “very great danger.” He suggested looking for other solutions for Lebanon’s Shiite population and said Syria would act through Lebanon’s institutions and the Lebanese state.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump told Fox News that he was “disappointed” Israel cannot dislodge Hezbollah, adding that they cannot do anything “without blowing up a few buildings.” Trump said he was close to “giving it to Syria,” meaning allowing al-Sharaa to enter southern Lebanon and fight Hezbollah, an option the Syrian president effectively rejected. Trump said he believes al-Sharaa would handle Hezbollah “more precisely.”
Israeli officials have said this scenario would be deeply troubling. A source quoted by Channel 12 said, “It is like throwing a match into a barrel of explosives, we will get al-Qaeda and Erdogan on the northern border.” Israeli security officials view the idea as the worst-case scenario, especially because they see Recep Tayyip Erdogan as standing behind al-Sharaa. The report also said Israel is still searching for new ways to deal with Hezbollah and is considering letting the Lebanese army take control of Hezbollah’s tunnel complex in the village of Tebnit in southern Lebanon. That option was discussed in recent days in political and military forums and could come up in the next round of negotiations on Tuesday.
