US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on the Syrian administration to focus on its internal affairs and secure its border with Lebanon. In a statement on Wednesday, Rubio said Washington is encouraging Damascus to concentrate on the internal challenges it faces.
Responding to a question about relations with Hezbollah, Rubio said, "What we are encouraging Syria to do is focus on the internal challenges it faces." Recalling that the US removed Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, the secretary said he hopes this step will contribute to the economic recovery the country "desperately needs."
Rubio stressed that Syria has a history of different elements living together peacefully for many years, and noted that the Damascus administration has a "major task" in this regard, which Washington is encouraging it to focus on.
Noting that Hezbollah is an enemy of the new Syrian government and has been trying to undermine it over time, the US secretary said, "One of the best things Syria can do to secure its future is to secure the Lebanon border so that weapons and equipment do not flow back and forth across that border in attempts to destabilize Syria."
The Syria-Lebanon border stretches over 370 kilometers and is known as a sensitive area due to irregular crossings, including arms and drug smuggling.
After the fall of the deposed Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, Washington engaged with the new Syrian administration, lifted sanctions, and removed Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The move is said to aim at supporting the country's reintegration into the international community and promoting economic recovery.
Last week, US President Donald Trump said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa would deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon "in a different way than Israel." In an interview with Fox News, Trump said al-Sharaa would not resort to destroying buildings and would be "more sensitive" compared to the Israelis.
