Syria Says It Will Not Move Against Hezbollah for Fear of Appearing Pro-Israel

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa fears that any military move against Hezbollah would be seen as protecting Israel and would cost him standing in Arab states, a Syrian source familiar with the government’s thinking told Kan News on Tuesday evening. The source said Syria will not intervene militarily against Hezbollah in Lebanon unless Israel first meets Syrian demands, chief among them withdrawing from areas the IDF captured in southern Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Earlier Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said al-Sharaa’s Syria would “deal with” Hezbollah instead of Israel. The idea that Syria could help weaken Hezbollah militarily in Lebanon is not new and has been discussed in recent months, but al-Sharaa publicly dampened those expectations in recent days, saying Syria would not intervene militarily in Lebanon and would instead focus on tighter border security and stopping arms smuggling to Hezbollah.

Kan News also reported Thursday that Turkey had advised al-Sharaa not to get involved militarily in Lebanon against Hezbollah, warning that such a step could strengthen Israel. The new report said Trump raised the possibility during a meeting involving Israeli and Lebanese representatives, suggesting that al-Sharaa’s forces be the ones to dismantle the organization.

According to Kan News, not only Israel opposed the idea, but Lebanese representatives did too, because Lebanon does not want foreign military involvement on its territory. Israeli officials also criticized the emerging US-Israel understanding, saying it strengthens Hezbollah and turns the group into a legitimate player.