US President Donald Trump again raised the possibility of a Syrian role for Damascus in the war against Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Trump said in a speech before the G7 summit in France on Tuesday, 16 June, that he had suggested to Israel that Syria deal with Hezbollah instead of Israeli forces.
Trump praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying he had done a great job in his country and had managed to unify it.
The US president had earlier spoken about the possibility of recommending that the Syrian government help Israel in its war against Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
In an interview with the US network NBC on 7 June, Trump expressed his desire to see what he described as “a more precise surgical attack against Hezbollah.”
The US president expressed his country’s readiness to help, pointing to the possibility of recommending that the Syrian government take part in the operation.
Trump’s remarks come amid Israeli and US disagreements over how to handle the Lebanese file and the war there between Israel and Hezbollah.
Trump said he had expressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his displeasure with the attack carried out by the Israeli army on Beirut’s southern suburb on 14 June.
Despite the US president’s reference to his excellent relationship with Netanyahu, he stressed that Israel must act with greater responsibility toward Lebanon.
As the United States seeks to calm tensions after reaching a peace agreement with Iran, which had made Lebanon’s inclusion in the agreement a condition, Israel refuses to withdraw from Lebanese territory and insists it is ready to respond to any Hezbollah targeting of its settlements in the north.
Damascus Rejects US Proposal
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa denied that Syria had any intention of entering Lebanon, describing reports circulating about the matter as “rumors.”
Al-Sharaa’s comments came during a meeting with a delegation of notables and dignitaries from Rural Damascus governorate on 12 June.
Ahmed Muwaffaq Zaidan, media adviser to the Syrian presidency, also revealed that the United States had proposed that Damascus intervene in Lebanon amid rapidly developing security events, but Syria rejected the proposal and affirmed that it was not concerned with any military or security intervention in Lebanese affairs.
In an interview with the Saudi channel al-Arabiya on 15 June, Zaidan said Syria supports extending the Lebanese state’s control over all its territory, stressing that support for the Lebanese government should not come through military interventions, but through empowering state institutions and strengthening their legitimate authority.
The Syrian presidential adviser added that Damascus views Lebanon’s stability as an important regional interest, but remains committed to the principle of respecting sovereignty and not interfering in countries’ internal affairs.
Zaidan directed explicit criticism at Hezbollah, calling on the party to stop its interference in Syrian affairs.
He added that Hezbollah is causing problems for the Syrian government, considering that some of its movements do not serve Syria’s stability or national interests.
He also accused the party of supporting elements linked to the former Syrian regime, referring to figures and groups that are still active inside Lebanon.
The Syrian presidential adviser explained that supporting the Lebanese government is not done through military interventions, but by strengthening state institutions and enabling them to carry out their constitutional and security duties.
Zaidan stressed that Syria views Lebanon’s stability as part of the stability of the region, but rejects any return to roles or arrangements that go beyond the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and the right of its institutions to manage the country’s affairs.
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