Al-Sharaa Rejects Syrian Military Role in Lebanon Despite Trump Hints
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has ruled out any Syrian military intervention in Lebanon, even after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Syria could take on Hezbollah instead of continued Israeli operations. Al-Sharaa said Damascus does not want to become part of the war, but part of the solution.
Trump had said at the G7 summit in France that he told Israel to let Syria handle Hezbollah, adding, "Frankly, I think they would do a better job." He also praised al-Sharaa, saying he and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had supported him and helped bring him to power, and that the Syrian president had done an outstanding job rebuilding the country.
According to reports cited from Lebanese and Arab outlets, the Syrian government discussed the American request in recent days but feared being dragged into a new conflict. A source told Al-Modon that there were "sharp discussions" in Damascus, and that Syria is not eager to enter a new confrontation after more than a decade of war and exhaustion. The source said any external military involvement would further drain Syria’s resources, and that Damascus wants to focus on internal affairs.
Syria reportedly demanded hard preconditions, including a full Israeli withdrawal from areas it controls in southern Syria and southern Lebanon, a promise not to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs, military aid for the Syrian army, full funding for any operation, U.S. air cover if ground action is needed, and an air-defense system.
Al-Sharaa later told Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar that Trump’s remarks were misunderstood, saying Syria would not enter Lebanon "tomorrow morning." He said, "We are part of the solution and cannot be part of the problem," and insisted that solving Lebanon’s crisis requires creative, nontraditional methods rather than war or bombing. He said Syria has already presented an initiative to the United States, French President Emmanuel Macron, and other regional states, and argued that Lebanon’s stability is essential to Syria’s own stability.
