Syria Rejects Trump-Backed Idea of Military Action Against Hezbollah

Syria is dismissing, at least for now, the idea that it could help militarily weaken Hezbollah inside Lebanon, despite reported American interest in such cooperation. A senior Syrian official told Kan 11’s Roei Kais that President Ahmed al-Sharaa fears being seen as protecting Israel, and said, "There cannot be such intervention before Israel responds to Syria's demands."

The reported U.S. proposal is not new. According to the article, the idea of Syrian military involvement against Hezbollah has surfaced in recent months. But in recent days, al-Sharaa has publicly cooled the notion, saying Syria will not intervene militarily in Lebanon. Instead, Damascus is focusing on tightening security along the Lebanese border and blocking smuggling routes to Hezbollah.

The article also recalls a report published Thursday on Kan 11 saying Turkey, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had advised al-Sharaa not to intervene militarily in Lebanon against Hezbollah, out of concern that it would play into Israel’s hands.

A Syrian source familiar with the government’s thinking said Syria and Israel do share an interest in weakening Hezbollah, but al-Sharaa fears that any direct Syrian move now would be seen across Arab public opinion as serving Israel. The source added that Syrian military intervention is not realistic unless Israel meets Syria’s own demands, especially withdrawing from areas the IDF captured in southern Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.