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A sign reading “Jerusalem 216 km” stands next to a poster bearing the image of Abu Obeida, the slain spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, in the southern village of Manara. Photo: Hassan Ammar/AP/dpa
Keystone
According to Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria has no plans to get involved in the war in neighboring Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel. Rumors of a Syrian invasion of Lebanon are false, al-Sharaa said yesterday in Damascus, according to the state news agency Sana. “We support an end to the war, the strengthening of institutions, the forging of economic ties, and a stabilization of the situation in Lebanon.” Far more important for Syria at present is the issue of the estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently mentioned Syria’s possible involvement in Israel’s war against Hezbollah. The U.S. could help Lebanon with more targeted strikes against the militia, “or we can recommend Syria.” Syria has a “good leader” and is very successfully bringing the situation in its own country under control, Trump said—an allusion to the overthrow of former Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, who was allied with Iran and Hezbollah.
The government of Syria’s interim president, al-Sharaa, is seeking closer ties with Arab states, the U.S., and other Western countries. Damascus has maintained a cautious distance from Iran, Hezbollah’s main supporter, as well as from Israel.
Relations between Syria and Lebanon have been marked by tensions and, at times, serious conflicts for decades. Syrian troops had invaded the neighboring country during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) and did not officially withdraw until 2005. During this period, the Syrian government exerted massive influence over politics, the military, and security agencies there.
14.06.2026, 15:45
