President Donald Trump elaborated on his call for Syria to address Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 'would be happy to step in and deal with Hezbollah because they are enemies.' Trump added that the Lebanese president is expected to visit Washington soon, according to remarks reported Wednesday evening. The comments continue a recent pattern of Trump publicly advising Israel on its Lebanon policy.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening again raised the idea that Syria should handle Hezbollah in Lebanon instead of Israel, saying Syrian President Bashar al-Assad 'would be happy' to do so because the two are enemies. 'The Lebanon clause is making a lot of noise — Israel can act much better,' Trump said, according to multiple reports. 'Syria can help with this. I was told that Assad would be happy to step in and deal with Hezbollah, but Lebanon doesn't want that.' Trump added that the Lebanese president is expected to visit Washington soon, though the name of the official was not specified in the reports.
The remarks, circulated through Israeli Telegram channels Wednesday evening, extend a pattern in which Trump has publicly advised Israel on its Lebanon campaign and offered alternatives. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump praised Syrian President Abu Mohammad al-Julani's leadership and suggested he would handle Hezbollah 'more surgically' than Israel. The proposal has drawn criticism from some U.S. lawmakers; Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) called the idea 'completely ludicrous,' as The Zioneer reported.
A desk-reviewed report attributed the claim about the presidential visit to Trump's comments. The reports do not specify which Lebanese official is meant. The IDF has not responded to Trump's remarks.
6 developments
- StrongTrump says he hopes the Lebanon situation can be resolved, acknowledges Hezbollah
- DevelopingTrump, in NBC Interview, Endorses 'More Surgical' Strikes on Hezbollah and Praises Syrian Leadership
- DevelopingTrump says Syria could handle Hezbollah 'without knocking down buildings', Israel should not need to
- StrongTrump says Lebanon clause is 'making a lot of noise,' suggests Syria can help
Source and signal
- Internal intake