Syrian president backs Lebanon disarming Hezbollah — 'we stand alongside President Aoun'

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced during a video conference with top European officials that Syria supports Lebanon's effort to disarm Hezbollah. 'We stand alongside Lebanese president Joseph Aoun in disarming Hezbollah,' al-Sharaa said. 'We have reinforced our defensive forces along the border as a precaution to prevent the repercussions of the conflict from spilling over onto Syrian territory, and to combat cross-border organizations and prevent them from using Syrian soil.' Earlier in the day, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had accused Hezbollah of seeking the 'collapse' of the Lebanese state with its decision to launch rockets into Israel. The Syria-Lebanon alignment against Hezbollah is a major diplomatic development. Al-Sharaa's post-Assad Syria has been distancing itself from the Iran-Hezbollah axis since assuming power in late 2024. His public backing of Aoun's disarmament push — on Day 10 of the war — represents the formal end of the Syria-Hezbollah axis that was the cornerstone of Iranian regional strategy for 40 years.