“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,” Trump said. He went on to praise Sharaa, formerly known by his al-Qaeda nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, saying he “has pulled that country together very quickly, he’s very capable, and he’s very good for me. He’s protected everything that I’ve asked for.”

Sharraa and his group of jihadists, known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an offshoot of al-Qaeda, took power in Damascus in December 2024, ousting former President Bashar al-Assad. Sharaa has been embraced by Trump and visited the White House despite HTS and affiliated fighters being responsible for massacres of Alawites, Druze, and other minorities in Syria.