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Syrian foreign minister: We are open to talks with Hezbollah
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani, during his contacts in Beirut, stated that they are open to talks with Hezbollah 'if interests require'. Shaybani said that the Hezbollah file did not come up in his meetings with Lebanese leaders.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani, who was holding talks in Beirut, said they are open to talks with Iran-backed Hezbollah 'if interests require'.
Shaybani met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah ally Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Speaking after the meetings, the Syrian minister said that the "Hezbollah file" had not come up in the talks, but that Syria was ready to talk to the group.
A statement from Aoun's office emphasized that the two neighboring countries desire each other's stability. It said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa gave assurances that they would not take sides in Lebanon's internal affairs.
The new government in Syria, composed of former opposition groups that toppled Bashar al-Assad, has emerged as an ally of the U.S. While Syria largely tries to remain neutral in the regional war between the U.S.-Israel and Iran, Hezbollah continues to fight Israel.
U.S. President Donald Trump said last month that he had discussed fighting Hezbollah with Sharaa. Criticizing Israel for killing too many civilians in Lebanon, Trump said, 'I told Israel, let Syria deal with Hezbollah, because frankly they would do a better job'.
According to Syrian state media, Sharaa said 'Rumors that Syria will enter Lebanon are completely baseless.' Reuters reported in March that the U.S. had encouraged Syria to send troops to eastern Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, but that Damascus was cool to the idea over concerns about being dragged into war and escalating sectarian tensions. Trump's Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack described the report as 'false and wrong'.
During the Assad family's rule, Syria long dominated Lebanon, sending troops in 1976 during the civil war and controlling politics until its withdrawal in 2005. Experts warn that a potential Syrian intervention could fuel sectarian tensions among Sunni, Shia, Christian and Druze groups in both countries.
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