Syria's President Says "Wound" from Hezbollah Still Unhealed

(MENAFN) Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Sunday that a "deep Syrian wound" tied to Hezbollah's past involvement in his country remains unhealed, even as he called for a political resolution to Lebanon's ongoing crisis.

"There is a major Syrian wound that is still alive to this day, and Hezbollah is part of it," Sharaa told media in an interview conducted in Damascus.

Despite those lingering grievances, Sharaa indicated Syria would remain open to engaging with the Lebanese group "if doing so benefited both nations."

"We will sit at the same table with Hezbollah if it serves the interests of Syria and Lebanon," he said.

Hezbollah formally joined the Syrian civil war in 2013, fighting in support of former President Bashar al-Assad's government. As tensions with Israel escalated in 2024, the group pulled a significant portion of its fighters back into Lebanon. The swift opposition offensive that toppled the Assad regime in December 2024 ultimately ended Hezbollah's military footprint in Syria altogether.

Sharaa emphasized that both the Syrian and Lebanese peoples had endured hardship under the former regime, while criticizing how "some Lebanese parties remain prisoners of the past."

He maintained that Lebanon's crisis cannot be resolved through war or the bombing of cities, cautioning that renewed fighting there "would have significant consequences for Syria."

"The situation in Lebanon cannot withstand further polarization," he said, adding that a genuine window remains open to end the conflict and reach a political consensus.

A Different Approach
Sharaa revealed he had presented "a different approach" to French President Emmanuel Macron aimed at ending the war in Lebanon. He also noted that US President Donald Trump had voiced unease over the situation there, though Sharaa said Trump's remarks had been "misunderstood."

Earlier Sunday, Trump voiced frustration with Israel's handling of Hezbollah, telling Fox News that Israel has been unable to "put Hezbollah away."

"I am disappointed Israel cannot put Hezbollah away," he added.

Trump further suggested that Syria's government might be better positioned to confront the group. "I am close to giving this to Syria," he said, referring to handling Hezbollah.

On June 16, Trump said he had advised Israel to allow Syria to "take care of Hezbollah" in Lebanon.

Sharaa said Syria's broader vision centers on reinforcing Lebanon's state institutions while pursuing a resolution acceptable to all sides. He argued that Hezbollah "should find its place within Lebanon," insisting that national interests must take precedence over other considerations, and accused the group of having "encroached on the Lebanese state's authority over decisions of war and peace."

More broadly, he said any nation hosting armed factions operating outside state control inevitably faces barriers to development and institutional growth.

Calling for reconciliation, Sharaa urged a reassessment of past events and renewed efforts to safeguard Lebanon's Shiite community rather than "gambling with it," warning that the loss of any segment of Lebanese society would amount to "a loss for the entire region."

He closed by stressing that Syria's central focus remains economic development, asserting the country "has no intention" of straying from that path.

"We have enough courage that, if we wanted to enter a war, we would say so openly."

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