Syrian President Abu Mohammad al-Julani reiterated late Sunday that Syria will not intervene militarily inside Lebanon against Hezbollah, in a direct message to U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Syrian media reports. The statement reinforces his previous position while Trump has publicly called for Syria to handle the militia.
Syrian President Abu Mohammad al-Julani late Sunday delivered a direct message to U.S. President Donald Trump, stating "We will not enter Lebanon to fight Hezbollah," according to Syrian media reports. The statement, reported around midnight Jerusalem, refines the ongoing public back-and-forth between Damascus and the Trump administration over potential Syrian involvement against the militia inside Lebanon.
The new message follows a series of developments on Sunday alone. Earlier Sunday evening (22:14 Jerusalem), as The Zioneer reported, al-Julani said Syria may assist in disarming Hezbollah but not through war. Around 22:08 Jerusalem, he stated Syria has "a deep problem" with Hezbollah but does not want Lebanon destroyed. At 19:24 Jerusalem, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa confirmed that President Trump expressed "discomfort" with Lebanon and suggested a Syrian role, but clarified Syrian forces would not cross the border — a position consistent with the earlier Sunday reporting from a single Syrian source. The thread began Sunday at 19:24 Jerusalem with an unconfirmed report that Trump was moving closer to handing the Hezbollah file to Syria.
This latest statement directly reiterates the Syrian red line against military intervention in Lebanon, a stance Damascus has held since the fall of the Assad regime and subsequent Israeli operations along their border. As The Zioneer has reported, Trump has publicly urged Syria to act against Hezbollah, most recently on Wednesday saying al-Julani could handle the militia "without knocking down buildings."
What remains open: whether this message is an official Syrian reply to a specific U.S. proposal, and whether Trump will respond publicly. The comments come amid ongoing Israeli operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
4 developments
- StrongSyrian president al-Sharaa rejects US proposal to confront Hezbollah militarily in Lebanon, citing concern over perception and unmet Israeli demands
- StrongSyrian President al-Julani says Syria may aid disarming Hezbollah, but not by fighting
- StrongSyria's interim president: We have a deep problem with Hezbollah but don't want Lebanon destroyed
- StrongTrump says Syria 'would be happy' to handle Hezbollah, Lebanese president to visit Washington
Source and signal
- Internal intake