Overview
- The Syrian foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani, visited Beirut on Thursday and met President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri while announcing a Syrian-Lebanese high-level cooperation committee.
- Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa publicly denied plans to send forces into Lebanon and described reports of troop deployments as completely unfounded.
- Al-Shibani said Damascus is open to meeting Hezbollah only “if the interest requires it,” framing any talks as conditional and political rather than a pretext for military action.
- Al-Shibani received a warm, symbolic reception in Tripoli that underscored Syria’s effort to rebuild ties with Sunni areas and to present economic and security cooperation as priorities.
- President Trump’s public push for Syria to confront Hezbollah continues to shape regional pressure, but Syrian leaders say they will avoid intervention to prevent being drawn into a wider, sectarian conflict and to protect reconstruction gains at home.