Syria’s Sharaa: ‘Deep wound’ remains over Hezbollah’s role

Syrian President Ahmad al‑Sharaa said Sunday that a “deep Syrian wound” remains over Hezbollah’s past involvement in Syria, while calling for a political solution to Lebanon’s crisis. “There is a major Syrian wound that is still alive to this day, and Hezbollah is part of it,” Sharaa told Al Mashhad TV. Despite those grievances, he said Syria would be prepared to engage with the Lebanese group “if doing so benefited both nations.”

Hezbollah’s withdrawal and Syrian stability

Hezbollah entered the Syrian civil war in 2013 in support of Bashar al‑Assad. As its confrontation with Israel intensified in 2024, the group withdrew fighters back to Lebanon. The collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024 effectively ended Hezbollah’s military presence in Syria. Sharaa stressed that both Syrian and Lebanese peoples suffered under the previous regime, and lamented that “some Lebanese parties remain prisoners of the past.” He warned that renewed conflict in Lebanon “would have significant consequences for Syria.”

Trump’s remarks and Syria’s vision

Sharaa said he had presented “a different approach” to French President Macron for ending the war in Lebanon. Earlier Sunday, President Trump expressed disappointment with Israel’s handling of Hezbollah, saying Israel has been unable to “put Hezbollah away.” Trump suggested Syria’s leadership could be more effective. Sharaa argued that Hezbollah “should find its place within Lebanon” and that national interests should prevail. He concluded that Syria’s priority is economic development and that it “has no intention” of abandoning that path.