Syria’s role in Lebanon will be among the central issues discussed during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s upcoming talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, MBN has learned.
Aoun will make clear that Lebanon rejects any Syrian interference in its internal affairs or any security or military role for Damascus on Lebanese territory, said a source close to the Lebanese president, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The message comes after President Trump suggested that Syria could play a role in dismantling Hezbollah’s military wing, remarks that have revived debate in Lebanon over the role Damascus should play in Lebanese affairs.
According to the source, Aoun will insist that relations with Syria remain limited to official state-to-state ties and bilateral coordination, without granting Damascus any security authority inside Lebanon.
He will also stress that security and border issues must be handled exclusively through Lebanese state institutions, foremost among them the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The talks are expected to address the state’s monopoly on arms, support for the Lebanese military, implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and related provisions of Resolution 1559, tighter control of the Lebanon-Syria border and the economic and administrative reforms sought by the international community.
Hezbollah’s weapons are expected to be among the most prominent issues on the agenda, as the Lebanese government faces mounting U.S. and international pressure to extend its authority across the country’s entire territory.
Eli Mahfoud, head of the Change Movement Party, told MBN that the visit could pave the way for additional political, military and economic support for Lebanon, particularly for the army.
Mahfoud said restoring the Lebanese government’s exclusive control over weapons is a prerequisite for the country to regain sovereign decision-making. Hezbollah’s influence, according to Mahfoud, continues to stand in the way.
Nabil Halabi, chief executive of the Middle East Policy Forum in Istanbul, said Lebanese-Syrian relations were also likely to feature prominently during the visit, particularly following Trump’s remarks about a possible Syrian role in addressing the Hezbollah issue.
However, Halabi said he does not believe Syria’s new leadership is interested in resuming interference in Lebanese affairs, noting that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has instead prioritized economic cooperation and postwar reconstruction.
Halabi said any cooperation between Beirut and Damascus is likely to focus on border management, security and economic issues through the two governments and their official institutions.
The border issue has taken on added importance amid continued concerns over arms smuggling. Syria’s Interior Ministry recently announced that it had foiled an attempt to smuggle a shipment of weapons across the Syrian-Iraqi border, saying the cargo was destined for Hezbollah.
Halabi also referred to reports of other weapons shipments allegedly headed to Lebanon, as well as circulating claims that missiles stored in the Hermel area had been obtained by Hezbollah from forces loyal to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shortly before his government fell.
MBN could not independently verify those claims.
According to the source, the Lebanese presidency is seeking increased U.S. support for the army while emphasizing that any effort to address both the Hezbollah issue and the Lebanon-Syria border must remain under the exclusive authority of the Lebanese state.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
