Hezbollah Chief Signals Openness to Meeting Syria’s Leadership

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said today (Tuesday) that, from his organization’s perspective, there is no obstacle to holding an official meeting with Syria’s leadership in the future. It marks Hezbollah’s first public signal of willingness for such a meeting, following similar messages in recent days from Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Qassem’s remarks come against the backdrop of al-Sharaa’s recent comments on relations between Syria and Lebanon. The Hezbollah secretary-general stressed what he described as the close link between stability in the two countries: "A stable Syria supports Lebanon, just as a stable Lebanon supports Syria." He added that Lebanon’s stability depends first and foremost on the situation in the country’s south, claiming that Israel’s "only option" is a "full withdrawal."

Qassem also addressed the deployment of the Lebanese Army in the country’s south. According to him, "Hezbollah supports the deployment of the Lebanese Army in the area south of the Litani River," adding that the organization welcomes the move and will "assist to the fullest extent, as it has in the past."

A few days earlier, in an interview Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa gave to the Al Jazeera network, he too addressed the situation in Lebanon and relations between the countries. Al-Sharaa said Damascus is holding talks with Lebanon’s government aimed at ensuring the stability of its neighboring country.

According to the Syrian president, developments in Lebanon have direct implications for Syria as well: "Any chaos in Lebanon will directly affect Syria." At the same time, he said he supports Lebanon’s government and army having exclusive authority over weapons and over decisions concerning war and peace.