Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani concluded his visit to Beirut Thursday, having met with the Lebanese president and prime minister. At a joint press conference with PM Nawaf Salam, a journalist asked whether Lebanon would allow Syrian forces to enter and disarm Hezbollah as proposed by President Trump — the PM declined to answer. Al-Shibani later said he did not meet Hezbollah representatives due to schedule constraints but did meet Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri of the Shia Amal movement.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani concluded his visit to Beirut on Thursday, having met with the Lebanese president and prime minister. At a joint press conference with PM Nawaf Salam, a journalist asked whether Lebanon would allow Syrian forces to enter and disarm Hezbollah as proposed by President Trump — the PM declined to answer. Al-Shibani later said he did not meet Hezbollah representatives due to schedule constraints but did meet Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri of the Shia Amal movement.
The development caps a day in which The Zioneer reported from the morning (Thu 11:22 Jerusalem) on the visit itself, the first at this level in years. Within hours, we reported al-Shibani's statement that Syria opposes Israeli attacks on Lebanon and his assertion that Damascus has no intention of invading Lebanon or fighting Hezbollah. The sequence — initial reports of the meeting, then policy statements, then the declaration that no Hezbollah meeting occurred — shows Syria calibrating its public posture: openness to dialogue was signaled earlier in the week (Thu 12:44 Jerusalem), but the visit's outcome confirmed no direct contact with the Iran-backed group.
The visit unfolded against a backdrop of competing pressures. As The Zioneer reported Wednesday (Wed Jun 17, 19:48 Jerusalem), President Trump had suggested Syria would be 'happy' to handle Hezbollah — a proposal that prompted a security discussion in Israel (Thu Jun 25, 08:52 Jerusalem). Yet Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara has repeatedly rejected U.S. calls for military intervention, citing fear of being seen as protecting Israel (Tue Jun 16, 23:38 Jerusalem), while expressing willingness to sit with Hezbollah at a negotiating table (Mon Jun 22, 16:50 Jerusalem). Al-Shibani's own statement earlier Thursday — that Damascus is open to meeting Hezbollah if needed (Thu 12:44 Jerusalem) — left that door ajar, but the visit concluded without such a meeting.
It remains unclear whether any follow-up contacts with Hezbollah were discussed privately or will be arranged later. Al-Shibani's scheduling explanation has not been independently corroborated, and no further details on the trip's agenda or any planned next steps have been reported.
6 developments
- DevelopingSyrian foreign minister to visit Beirut this week, meet Lebanese parliament speaker
- DevelopingSyrian foreign minister says open to meeting Hezbollah if needed
- StrongPM convenes security cabinet after Trump proposal for Syria to handle Hezbollah
- StrongTrump says Syria 'would be happy' to handle Hezbollah, Lebanese president to visit Washington
Source and signal
- Internal intake