US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (June 16th) that President Ahmed al-Sharaa has done an exceptional job in rearranging the situation in Syria.
In remarks to reporters after meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France, Trump added that he and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other figures "supported Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara and contributed to his rise to power."
"I suggested to Israel that Syria take over Hezbollah, because frankly I think they would do a better job," Trump said, adding that if Israel can't get the job done against Hezbollah without killing everyone, "Syria will do the job."
In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump hinted at the possibility that Syria could play a role in facilitating more "precise" strikes against Hezbollah, saying, "I'd like to see Lebanon have a better life, and I'd like to see a more precise (surgical attack) on Hezbollah. I think it should be more precise, and we can help them with that, or we can recommend Syria to help."
Trump criticizes Israel
Trump has made a rare criticism of Israel, refusing to destroy entire residential buildings in Lebanon in search of a single Hezbollah element, noting that many of the residents of those buildings are not affiliated with the group.
In response to a reporter's question, Trump said, "I'm not happy with the way Israel has dealt with Lebanon and with Hezbollah. They should have been able to get the job done faster."
"You don't have to destroy an entire apartment building every time in search of one Hizbullah person, there are many who live in those buildings, and not all of them are Hizbullah members," he said.
Trump also criticized the Israeli attack on Beirut ahead of the signing of the US-Iran deal, saying, "I did not find it right for Israel to attack Lebanon and Beirut hours before the signing of the agreement. I didn't like it at all, and I told him (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) about it clearly."
Trump said that without the United States, "Israel would not have existed and would have already been destroyed," calling on Netanyahu to act more responsibly toward Lebanon.
President al-Sharia denies rumors of interference in Lebanon
On Saturday, June 13, President Al-Sharia denied what he described as "rumors" about Syria's interference in Lebanese affairs, stressing that Damascus and Beirut agreed to postpone the detailed dialogue on the demarcation of the borders, and to focus on more urgent files, most notably economic linkages and development support.
President Al-Shara's remarks came during a meeting with a delegation of notables and notables from the Damascus countryside in the capital, Damascus, in a speech broadcast by the state news agency "SANA", and said that Lebanon is going through a very sensitive phase due to the repertoire of the Israeli war, and that this reality is reflected on Syria as well as on the Lebanese interior.
"The priority today is for Lebanon to take advantage of the new Syrian situation in a way that helps to promote stability, develop economic connectivity, support development, and contribute to some of the reforms it needs, in which Syria can provide important services and facilities," he stressed.
"At the same time, some people are still spreading rumors of Syrian intervention in Lebanon, which is not true," he concluded, adding, "What we always propose is to stop the war, strengthen state institutions, strengthen economic linkages, and calm the situation in Lebanon as much as possible."
Zeidan: Syria has rejected a US proposal to intervene in Lebanon
Syrian presidential adviser Ahmed Zeidan also stressed that Syria is "not interested in any military or security intervention in Lebanese affairs" and that it has rejected a US proposal for Damascus to intervene there.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya TV, Zeidan said in response to US President Donald Trump's proposal to use Syria to carry out what he described as "precision surgical strikes" against Hezbollah inside Lebanon, that Damascus rejected this proposal "absolutely and immediately."
Zeidan added that Syria supports the extension of the Lebanese state's control over its entire territory, and that "the support of the Lebanese government is not through military interventions, but through the empowerment of state institutions and the strengthening of its legitimate authority."
"Damascus views Lebanon's stability as an important regional interest, but it adheres to the principle of respecting sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of states," Zeidan said.
Zeidan stressed that Syrian-Lebanese relations today are based on respecting the independence of the Lebanese decision and non-interference in its internal affairs, with a focus on files that directly affect the interests of the two peoples, foremost of which are economic linkage, support for development projects, enhancing the security of common borders, and combating smuggling, pointing out that entering the Lebanese arena militarily is like "entering a political and sectarian minefield", which Damascus seeks to avoid completely within the framework of its new vision for regional relations.
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