Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has moved to quash speculation about a potential Syrian military intervention in Lebanon, insisting that his country's approach is aimed at ending the war there, not extending it.
Ahmad al-Sharaa. Reuters
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has moved to quash speculation about a potential Syrian military intervention in Lebanon, insisting that his country's approach is aimed at ending the war there, not extending it.
"The rumours circulating about Syria entering Lebanon are nothing but speculation," al-Sharaa said in remarks reported Friday by Lebanese media, adding that "Syria's approach aims to end the war in Lebanon, not to expand it or become involved in it."
The denial comes after President Donald Trump recently suggested that Syria might be willing to intervene against Hezbollah in Lebanon, a statement that had fuelled widespread speculation about Damascus's intentions along its western border.
Al-Sharaa also addressed the sensitive question of the Syrian-Lebanese border demarcation, making clear it was not a priority at this stage. More pressing, he said, was the situation of approximately 1.4 million Syrian refugees currently in Lebanon and the need to find an appropriate mechanism to facilitate their return home.
Lebanon is set to welcome its first domestically registered airline since 1969, as start-up Mada Airways prepares to launch scheduled commercial services from the country's north, ending more than half a century of aviation monopoly, according to L’Orient-Le Jour.
Iran is waging a calculated campaign to preserve Lebanon as its last bastion of influence on the Mediterranean, tying the country's fate to a grand bargain with Washington as it seeks to end Hezbollah's war with Israel on its own terms, not Beirut's.
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 13 people on Wednesday, Lebanese security sources said, as Israel pressed its campaign against Hezbollah and the Iran-backed group claimed fresh attacks against Israeli forces in the south.
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