BEIRUT - Syria’s foreign minister traveled to Beirut on Thursday for talks with senior Lebanese officials, marking his first visit to the country since U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Syrian forces might confront Iran-backed Hezbollah inside Lebanon.
Asaad al-Shibani’s initial meeting in Beirut was with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. He then proceeded to a planned discussion with Nabih Berri, the parliament speaker and known ally of Hezbollah. The sequence of meetings highlights Damascus’ engagement with Lebanon’s political leadership amid heightened commentary by the United States about the role Syria might play with respect to Hezbollah.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former rebel commander whose government now leads Syria, has publicly rejected reports that Syrian units would enter Lebanon. According to Syrian state media, Sharaa said that "the rumours circulating about Syria entering Lebanon are completely unfounded."
The visit follows comments by U.S. President Donald Trump last month in which he said he had discussed the prospect of combating Hezbollah with Sharaa. Trump criticized Israel for what he described as excessive civilian casualties in Lebanon while saying it had not "gotten the job done." He added: "I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah, because to be honest with you, I think they do a better job of doing it."
Diplomatic sources and reporting have indicated that the United States had encouraged Syria to consider deploying forces into eastern Lebanon to assist in disarming Hezbollah. Reuters reported in March that Damascus was hesitant to pursue such an operation, concerned it could become embroiled in the wider war in the Middle East and aggravate sectarian tensions within Syria and Lebanon.
Those concerns are echoed in the public remarks attributed to Sharaa denying any imminent Syrian entry into Lebanon. The former rebel commanders now in power in Damascus fought against Hezbollah forces when Hezbollah operated inside Syria in support of former President Bashar al-Assad. Now, as governing authorities, they face the challenge of managing military and diplomatic choices carefully to preserve relative stability in a country still recovering from 14 years of civil war.
Syria also has a historical record of dominance in Lebanon under the Assad family, having sent forces into Lebanon in 1976 during Lebanon’s civil war and exerting considerable influence over Lebanese politics until withdrawing in 2005. The prospect of any renewed Syrian intervention into Lebanon is considered fraught with the potential to inflame sectarian divisions across both countries, each home to a mosaic of communities including Sunni Muslims, Shi’ite Muslims, Christians, and Druze.
Contextual note: Reporting and official statements cited in this article reflect the positions and events as described by the involved parties. Where public denials or expressions of caution have been recorded, they are presented as stated by Syrian officials and reported sources.