Syria open to direct Hezbollah talks if national interests require, says foreign minister

Syria open to direct Hezbollah talks if national interests require, says foreign minister
Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani attends a joint press conference with Nawaf Salam in Beirut, Lebanon, 2 July 2026
Reuters

Syria is open to direct talks with Hezbollah if its national interests require it, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani said during a visit to Lebanon on Thursday (2 July).

Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani made the remarks during meetings in Beirut with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close Hezbollah ally.

The visit marked al-Shaybani's first to Beirut since U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Syrian forces could confront Hezbollah inside Lebanon. Damascus has previously rejected the idea.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has dismissed reports of any planned Syrian military role in Lebanon, describing them as unfounded.

Former enemies, shifting alliances

Syria's new leadership, made up of former rebel commanders who fought Hezbollah during the country's civil war, now faces the challenge of managing regional alliances while rebuilding after 14 years of conflict.

Hezbollah backed former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the war, deepening the long-running hostility between the two sides.

Media reports earlier this year said Washington had explored whether Syria could help disarm Hezbollah in eastern Lebanon, although Damascus was reluctant over fears of being drawn into a wider regional conflict.

Syria maintained political and military dominance over Lebanon for nearly three decades before withdrawing its troops in 2005.

Analysts say any renewed Syrian involvement in Lebanon could inflame sectarian tensions across both countries.

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