Syria’s Sharaa says he had ‘multiple discussions’ with Trump on Lebanon, favors dialogue

Syrian President Sharaa has again played down Donald Trump’s request that Syria could enter Lebanon and help disarm Hezbollah.

Beatrice Farhat

Jun 22, 2026

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BEIRUT — Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has once again denied that his country plans to intervene militarily in neighboring Lebanon following US President Donald Trump’s fresh remarks about a potential Syrian role in removing Hezbollah’s weapons.

In an interview with the Dubai-based pan-Arab Al Mashhad channel aired on Sunday, Sharaa ruled out the possibility of sending troops to Lebanon, stressing instead that Syria is seeking to restore relations with its neighbor based on economic cooperation, rather than military intervention.

“We are looking for economic channels between Lebanon and Syria, not military ones,” Sharaa told Al Mashhad’s Tony Khalife.

What happened: Sharaa’s comments came after Trump again suggested that Damascus join the fight against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

On Sunday, Trump told Fox News he was “disappointed Israel can't put Hezbollah away.”

“They can’t do anything without knocking buildings down,” the president said. Referring to the fight against Hezbollah, he said. “I’m close to giving it over to Syria.”

For Sharaa, Trump’s remarks were misinterpreted.

“President Trump expressed concern about the current situation in Lebanon, and his words were misunderstood. He spoke about Syria’s role in seeking a safe and peaceful solution, but people understood him as if Syria would........

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