Lebanon seeks clearer path with Syria amid shifting regional dynamics

Report by Raneem Bou Khzam, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and subsequent Arab efforts to secure alternative trade routes have placed Syria at the center of a new regional landscape, while Lebanon remains on the sidelines.

Amid these major shifts, Saturday’s visit to Damascus by the Lebanese prime minister and a ministerial delegation carries greater significance.

While Lebanon is engaged in negotiations with Israel over its southern borders, its eastern and northern borders require, first and foremost, something simpler than negotiations: a political decision to reorganize relations with Damascus.

Sources familiar with the details of the visit said it is not intended to resolve a specific issue, but rather to establish a path toward developing relations between the two countries.

However, a key question arises: where do the other pillars of Lebanese authority stand on rebuilding trust in Lebanese-Syrian relations?

According to information obtained by LBCI, the presidency, which is focused on preparations for the upcoming Washington negotiation round, considers relations with Syria to be good, citing meetings between President Joseph Aoun and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on several occasions.

LBCI sources also said the president deliberately used the term “brother” in reference to al-Sharaa in a statement issued in solidarity following an attack on a mosque in Homs at the end of 2025.

In Ain el-Tineh, according to LBCI sources, there is no objection to any positive arrangement with the Syrian leadership, and it views favorably any coordination that serves the interests of both countries.

As for Hezbollah, its file continues to weigh heavily on Lebanon’s relations, without reaching the level of direct Syrian intervention in Lebanese affairs.

In conclusion, Energy Minister Joe Saddi summed up the situation in a few words: in light of all the change taking place in the region, we must be at the table, not outside it.