Trump says Syrian president Sharaa wants to engage with Hezbollah in Lebanon

DAMASCUS, Syria — U.S. President Donald Trump said Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa wants to engage with Hezbollah in Lebanon and would handle the issue differently and more delicately than Israel. Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he knows Sharaa "wants to take this on" and noted that Sharaa "won't be knocking down buildings." Trump also said it would be good for Israel to reposition in Lebanon to focus on Iran. His comments come amid heightened scrutiny of Syrian activity along the Lebanese border and questions over how Damascus might approach the Iran-backed group. Sharaa has previously denied reports of a planned Syrian military intervention in Lebanon, saying his priority is rebuilding Syria and that economic channels with Lebanon were being explored. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on July 12 that the idea of Syrian intervention in Lebanon was not accepted by Lebanese or Israeli counterparts, and that the best option was for the Lebanese army to expand its control over the country's territory. No further details on a potential Syrian role in Lebanon were immediately available.