Damascus, Syria – Web Desk: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has firmly denied that his country seeks to intervene militarily in Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah remain locked in conflict, following repeated suggestions by US President Donald Trump that Damascus could become involved .
“We are looking for economic channels between Lebanon and Syria, not military ones,” Sharaa said in an interview broadcast on the Al Mashhad television channel .
Trump’s Remarks
On Sunday, Trump told Fox News he was “disappointed Israel can’t put Hezbollah away,” adding in reference to the fight against the militant group: “I’m close to giving it over to Syria” . At the G7 summit in France this week, Trump also stated that “if Israel can’t do the job (against Hezbollah) without killing everyone else, then he (Sharaa) will do the job. Syria will do the job” .
Syria’s Position
Sharaa emphasized that Syria offers “many tools for having a positive impact within Lebanon, but this also depends primarily on Lebanon’s agreement” . He added: “Syria is greatly concerned with Lebanon’s domestic situation because Lebanon’s security and stability are part of Syria’s security and stability” .
Responding to a question about whether he would sit at the table with Hezbollah, Sharaa said: “If this serves Lebanon’s interests and safeguards Syria’s interests, why not?”
Broader Context
Syria had dominated its neighbor for decades following its military intervention in Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, withdrawing only in 2005, making any new military involvement a fraught proposition .
Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel to avenge the killing of its backer Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion. An Iran-US deal signed this week on ending the regional conflict includes Lebanon, where fighting has paused since Saturday evening .
Sharaa also noted that “we proposed with the United States that the war must stop,” adding that “there must be various solutions, including economic, political and social, and the re-establishment of relations and the vital economic lifeline between Syria and Lebanon” .
