Syrian President Abu Mohammad al-Julani declared Sunday evening that Syria will not operate militarily against Hezbollah inside Lebanon, according to Syrian media reports. He also said he has spoken with President Trump about solutions other than war and expressed willingness to hold dialogue with Hezbollah despite the damage it has caused Syria.
Syrian President Abu Mohammad al-Julani confirmed Sunday evening that he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump and expressed willingness to hold dialogue with Hezbollah, while reiterating that Syria will not fight the group inside Lebanon. The statement — reported by Syrian media channels including al-Mashhad — is the latest in a series of clarifications from Damascus on Sunday, evolving from an initial rejection of intervention to a more detailed offer of non-military assistance.
As The Zioneer reported beginning at 21:35 Jerusalem, al-Julani's first statement said Syria would not enter Lebanon to fight Hezbollah. By the same hour, he expanded to say Syria may assist in disarming the group but ruled out military action or Syrian patronage. The current update adds that al-Julani has spoken directly with Trump about "solutions other than war" and is open to dialogue with Hezbollah despite the damage the organization caused Syria during its civil war. The thread's reporting has moved from single-source reports to multiple Syrian media outlets citing the president's official channel.
These statements follow weeks of pressure by President Trump, who has repeatedly suggested that al-Julani could handle Hezbollah more surgically than Israel — an idea Israel opposed. As The Zioneer reported Tuesday 16 June, al-Julani rejected a U.S. proposal to confront Hezbollah militarily, fearing being seen as protecting Israel. Trump's latest remarks on the topic came Wednesday 17 June in separate statements reiterating that view.
What remains unclear is whether Hezbollah or Iran has responded to al-Julani's offer of dialogue, and whether any Syrian role in disarmament will go beyond the diplomatic channel al-Julani has now outlined.
7 developments
- StrongSyrian president al-Sharaa rejects US proposal to confront Hezbollah militarily in Lebanon, citing concern over perception and unmet Israeli demands
- StrongSyria's interim president: We have a deep problem with Hezbollah but don't want Lebanon destroyed
- DevelopingSyria's al-Julani says he believes in dialogue with Hezbollah even during war
- DevelopingTrump says Syria could handle Hezbollah 'without knocking down buildings', Israel should not need to
Source and signal
- Internal intake