Lebanon rejects Trump's proposal for Syria to ‘take care of Hezbollah’
- Middle East
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 01:36 | 18 June 2026
- Modified Date: 01:43 | 18 June 2026
Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar on Wednesday rejected US President Donald Trump's proposal that Israel should let Syria "take care of Hezbollah" in Lebanon.
Speaking to CNN, Nassar said dismantling Hezbollah was a job for the Lebanese state, not foreign forces.
"It is not about having foreign troops doing the job. Lebanon suffered for years from interference from others. And if Hezbollah is today a proxy of Iran, it is because there is an interference from Iran in the internal affairs of Lebanon," he said.
On Tuesday, Trump suggested to Israel to let Syria "take care of Hezbollah" in Lebanon.
"I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah because to be honest with you, I think they'd do a better job of doing it," he told reporters in France.
Hezbollah has been fighting with Israel since early March following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Tensions have continued to flare along the Lebanese-Israeli border despite a recent understanding between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending their military conflict that erupted after Israel and the US launched attacks against Iran on Feb. 28.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said that ending Israeli attacks across regional fronts, particularly in Lebanon, is among the main objectives of the memorandum of understanding expected to be signed between Tehran and Washington on Friday.
Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the previous war between 2023 and 2024. During the current campaign, Israeli forces pushed more than 10 kilometers into Lebanon.
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