Syrian Interim President Says Trump Concerned About Lebanon, Sees Possible Positive Role for Syria

Ahmad Al-Shar'a, the Syrian interim president, told Al-Mashhad channel that US President Donald Trump has expressed concern about the current events in Lebanon. He noted that Trump discussed stopping the war and mentioned a role for Syria in seeking a solution, clarifying that this was understood as Syria entering Lebanon. Al-Shar'a added that Trump is looking for a resolution and that Damascus might have a positive role via the Lebanese state and its institutions.

Al-Shar'a highlighted that the Syrian people suffered under the previous regime just as the Lebanese people did, emphasizing that Syria is part of the solution rather than part of the suffering. He described the opportunity to change the former Syrian regime as positive for all countries in the region, while noting that some Lebanese parties remain captive to the past.

He observed that Lebanon is facing a very large-scale war, which affects the Syrian reality. He also pointed out the presence of Hezbollah forces along the Lebanese-Syrian border in the Bekaa region. According to Al-Shar'a, the Syrian perspective is that the solution cannot come through continuous bombing. He said that contacts with Trump took place from the first day, discussing Lebanon’s situation, and that the Syrian approach envisions a solution comprising a package of measures rather than solely a military one.

Al-Shar'a added that the war must stop and that there should be various political, economic, and social solutions. He mentioned that alongside these, some measures should address Syrian, Lebanese, and Israeli concerns. He asserted that Lebanon suffers from neglect or lack of interest by its former allied countries and that Lebanon is increasingly viewed only as a security issue. He explained that Syria proposes a completely different approach, involving solutions that reassure different Lebanese forces and provide guarantees specifically for Syria, stressing that this proposal is to be pursued through the Lebanese state and its institutions.

He further stated that he sees no shame in a country seeking assistance from others to resolve its issues, recalling that Syria faced many problems and relied on several other countries. Al-Shar'a considered that Lebanon’s situation requires joint solutions and that Syria can be relied upon to find a secure path to a resolution. However, he clarified that this does not imply war or a return to the previous Syrian tutelage, but rather the restoration of support for the state, strengthening its institutions, and seeking reconciliation among the parties and influential forces within Lebanon, including Hezbollah, since partial solutions carry inherent problems.