Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has explicitly ruled out military intervention in Lebanon, directly contradicting repeated suggestions by US President Donald Trump that Damascus could take over the fight against Hezbollah. In a televised interview broadcast on Al Mashhad, Sharaa stated that Syria seeks “economic channels between Lebanon and Syria, not military ones,” and that he had conveyed to Washington a vision for stopping the war through political, economic and social solutions. The denial came after Trump told Fox News he was “disappointed Israel can’t put Hezbollah away” and was “close to giving it over to Syria,” and earlier at the G7 summit said Sharaa “will do the job” if Israel cannot.

According to US officials, the Trump administration has grown frustrated with the pace and destruction of Israel’s campaign and has explored alternative means, including encouraging a Syrian role. The US Treasury also imposed sanctions on Hezbollah allies such as Marada Movement leader Suleiman Frangieh, signalling that Washington continues to pursue the group’s disarmament through multiple channels. From Damascus, Sharaa described Trump’s remarks as “misunderstood,” asserting that the US president was referring to Syria’s potential role in seeking a peaceful resolution. Sharaa disclosed that he had held “multiple discussions” with Trump on Lebanon and had proposed joint solutions that include restoring support for the Lebanese state, strengthening its institutions, and implementing security measures that address Syrian, Lebanese and Israeli concerns.

Viewed from Beirut, any Syrian military return carries deep sensitivities. Syria dominated Lebanon from 1976 until its forced withdrawal in 2005 following the assassination of former prime minister Rafic Hariri, an act widely attributed to Hezbollah and its Syrian backers at the time. Hezbollah’s subsequent armed intervention in Syria’s civil war on behalf of Bashar al-Assad has left the new authorities in Damascus, who toppled Assad in 2024, deeply hostile to the group. Analysts in the region note that while some Syrian factions might welcome an opportunity to confront Hezbollah, the Sharaa government has been cautious, focusing instead on preventing smuggling to the group and avoiding a new war that could destabilise Syria’s own fragile transition.

Sharaa’s public rejection sets a clear boundary, even as he left open the possibility of dialogue with Hezbollah “if this serves Lebanon’s interests and safeguards Syria’s interests.” The US-Iran deal signed this week, which includes Lebanon, has brought a pause in fighting since Saturday evening, but Washington’s parallel sanctions indicate that pressure on Hezbollah will continue. The dossier now stands at a juncture where Damascus is publicly committed to economic and diplomatic engagement, while the Trump administration appears to be testing multiple levers—diplomatic, financial, and the prospect of a Syrian role—to achieve Hezbollah’s disarmament. No formal Syrian military deployment is on the table, and the next steps are expected to focus on the implementation of the ceasefire and the economic reconnection between the two neighbours.