Syrian foreign minister says Damascus will not intervene militarily in Lebanon

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al‑Shaibani arrived in Beirut and met President Joseph Aoun, Parliament speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. He emphasized that Damascus has no intention to launch a military intervention in Lebanon despite repeated calls from U.S. President Donald Trump for Syria to “take care of Hezbollah.”

President Ahmed al‑Sharaa, who came to power in December 2024 after toppling Bashar al‑Assad, also denied any plan to reopen old wounds. Shaibani invited President Aoun to visit Syria – the first such invitation – and announced a high‑level committee to develop economic and security cooperation between the two neighbours. While the new Syrian authorities have arrested alleged Hezbollah‑linked cells and claim hostility toward the group, Shaibani did not rule out future talks with Hezbollah.

The visit marks the first senior Syrian delegation since the coalition took power, aiming to reset Syrian‑Lebanese relations after decades of Syrian tutelage and a history of Syrian military presence in Lebanon dating back to 1976.