Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visits Beirut and meets senior Lebanese officials as U.S. President Donald Trump raises the possibility that Syria should act against Hezbollah. Reporting based on Lebanon’s state news agency says al-Shaibani tells officials that Syria is open to meeting Hezbollah “if interests require it.” His first stop includes talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, followed by a meeting with parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally closely aligned with Hezbollah. Multiple outlets describe the Berri meeting as a notable part of the trip, taking place after heightened attention and pressure on Damascus regarding its relationship to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The visit is also characterized as an effort to manage relations with its neighbor and maintain channels with key political figures. Across sources, the meetings in Beirut are presented as diplomatic engagement rather than an announcement of military action, though the context is shaped by Trump’s comments and the broader tension surrounding Hezbollah. The reporting agrees on the main participants—al-Shaibani, Aoun, and Berri—and on Syria’s stated willingness to engage Hezbollah under certain conditions.
Syrian foreign minister meets Lebanese officials amid talk of Syria confronting Hezbollah
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visits Beirut and meets senior Lebanese officials as U.S. President Donald Trump raises the possibility that Syria should act against Hezbollah. Reporting bas...
- Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visits Beirut and holds talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
- Al-Shaibani also meets Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is aligned with Hezbollah.
- Lebanon’s state news agency reports al-Shaibani says Syria is open to meeting Hezbollah if its interests require it.
- The visit occurs after U.S. President Donald Trump suggests Syria could be asked to act against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- All sources describe the Beirut meetings as diplomatic engagement amid increased regional tensions over Hezbollah.
Syrian foreign minister's visit opens cautious channel to Hezbollah amid US pressure Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani's second official visit to Lebanon carried a significance that went well beyond the formal meetings on his schedule. Unlike his first trip to Beirut following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, this visit included a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the leader of the Amal Movement and Hezbollah's closest political ally. The meeting came after a series of controversial statements by US President Donald Trump suggesting that Syria could be asked to "take care of" Hezbollah, and amid growing pressure on Damascus to assume a role in confronting the Lebanese group. For Beirut, the visit offered additional reassurance that Syria's new administration did not intend to respond to that pressure by intervening militarily in Lebanon. Read more: Syrian foreign minister's visit opens cautious channel to Hezbollah amid US pressure Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Beirut on 2 July 2026 (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
1 month agoSyria's foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, on Thursday began a diplomatic tour of Lebanon as his country looks to maintain comfortable relations with its unstable neighbor.
1 month agoThe Syrian minister, Asaad al-Shibani, met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his first stop, and then headed for a meeting with the parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.
1 month agoForeign minister Asaad al-Shaibani met Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, for the first time.
1 month agoBEIRUT, July 2 (Reuters) - Syria's foreign minister said during a visit to Beirut on Thursday that Syria was open to meeting the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah "if interests require it", Lebanon's state news agency reported.Asaad al-Shibani met Lebanese government leaders including President Joseph Aoun and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally. It was his first visit there since U.S. President Donald Trump raised the possibility of Syrian forces combating Hezbollah in Lebanon.
1 month ago
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