The Times of Israel reports:

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday ruled out intervening militarily in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, after US President Donald Trump again suggested Damascus could get involved and expressed frustration with Israel’s fight against the Iran-backed terror group.

Trump’s comments to Fox News on Sunday came as the conflict in Lebanon has threatened to derail US-Iranian negotiations underway in Switzerland. On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on the Israeli military’s need to maintain a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, as the IDF reportedly urged Israel’s political leadership to intensify negotiations with the Lebanese government. The sides are slated to meet again this week.

Trump and US Vice President JD Vance have both repeatedly complained about Israel’s conduct in the Lebanon conflict, portraying it as a possible spoiler of the talks with Iran. Trump lashed out at Hezbollah in a social media post earlier on Sunday, but has chided Israel both for civilian casualties in its Lebanon strikes, and for not defeating Hezbollah quickly enough.

He repeated those sentiments in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, saying he is “disappointed Israel can’t put Hezbollah away.”

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

But Sharaa, who has been focused on rebuilding Syria and gaining domestic and international legitimacy since his Islamist forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, rejected the idea of Syrian forces going to war against Hezbollah, a former Assad ally.

“The crisis in Lebanon is very serious and there is a deadlock in political solutions,” Sharaa told Arab news outlet Al Mashhad. “Syria offers a different approach to solving it, but the most important thing is first of all to stop the war.”

He added, “The solution for Lebanon will not come through war and the bombing of cities. 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 enter Lebanon tomorrow morning.”

“We are looking for economic channels between Lebanon and Syria, not military ones,” he said. “Our vision is based on restoring support for the Lebanese state, strengthening its institutions, and seeking a solution that everyone can believe in. Stopping what is happening in Lebanon now requires creative solutions, not traditional and outdated ones.” [Continue reading…]