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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on June 11 expressed confidence that his Syrian counterpart, Ahmad al-Sharaa, will not intervene against Hezbollah.
In remarks shared by Lebanon ON, Aoun said that Sharaa possesses a high degree of political responsibility and the ability to navigate regional challenges, which he believes will keep Damascus from becoming involved in Lebanon’s internal complexities and crises.
Aoun’s remarks come amid reports that the United States has exerted pressure on Syria since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon in early March, seeking to encourage a more direct military role by Damascus in the conflict.
In an interview with NBC, aired on June 8, U.S. President Donald Trump praised Sharaa and said he is willing and capable of helping deal with Hezbollah.
Trump framed it as a recommendation: Syria as a partner for more surgical action against the group that has embedded itself across Lebanon’s south and east.
Addressing this, Aoun stressed that he trusts Damascus’ understanding of the sensitivity of the current situation and its cautious approach to developments in the region.
Aoun’s remarks came after reports of an upcoming visit by Sharaa to the U.S. at the start of the next week, although both Damascus and Washington have since denied this.
Just a day after the warning from Lebanon, it emerged that Sharaa had refuted the idea of an intervention against Hezbollah during a meeting with a delegation from Damascus.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, was a close ally to Syria’s former president, Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown more than a year ago by a coalition of rebels led by Sharaa.
Sharaa stated that “the rumors circulating about Syria entering Lebanon are nothing but speculation,” emphasizing that “Syria’s approach aims to end the war in Lebanon, not to expand it or get involved,” according to statements reported by several Syrian and Lebanese media outlets.
He explained that “the issue of demarcating the border between Syria and Lebanon is not a priority at the moment, given more urgent problems, particularly the situation of some 1.4 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the need to find an adequate mechanism to ensure their return.”
Despite Sharaa denial, there have been some reports of increasing Syrian military movements along the border with Lebanon.
With Trump currently focused on securing a deal with Iran, it is highly unlikely that he would pressure Syria to go into Lebanon right now. Nevertheless, this remains an option for Washington if war resumes with the Islamic Republic.
Syria could pay a heavy price for such an intervention. The country’s war-torn infrastructure would be completely exposed to retaliatory strikes from Lebanon, Iraq and Iran. Because of this risk, Sharaa is likely to be honest about his rejection of such a move. However, if faced with pressure from Trump, he will certainly accept.
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