Syria's al-Sharaa Rejects Trump Push for Lebanon Intervention as 30-Year Occupation Still Haunts Region
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 1
Syria's al-Sharaa Rejects Trump Push for Lebanon Intervention as 30-Year Occupation Still Haunts Region
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 1
Summary
Ahmed al-Sharaa said last week that Syria would not intervene militarily in Lebanon, rejecting President Donald Trump's suggestion that Damascus help subdue Hezbollah.
Trump had floated the idea as the Israel-Hezbollah conflict threatened to unravel the U.S.-Iran peace deal, even though Syria's new government is no ally of the Iran-backed militia.
Al-Sharaa said any Syrian role in Lebanon 'does not mean war' or a return to the old model of Syrian tutelage, adding, 'We tried war, and we do not wish it on anyone.'
The proposal stirred alarm in Lebanon, where Syria's military occupied the country for nearly three decades, and underscored how sharply Damascus has tried to break with Bashar al-Assad's regional posture since 2024.