A major step in repairing relations between the neighboring nations following the overthrow of Bashar Assad’s dictatorship was taken on Sunday when Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt met with Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s new de facto ruler, according to the Daily Mail. During his visit, Jumblatt, a longtime opponent of Syrian influence in Lebanon, commended the Syrian people’s fight for independence.Addressing al-Sharaa, he said, “We salute the Syrian people for their great victories, and we salute you for your battle that you waged to get rid of oppression and tyranny that lasted over 50 years.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
The meeting underscores the potential for a new chapter in Lebanese-Syrian relations, which were strained under Assad’s rule.
Jumblatt’s father, Kamal, was assassinated in 1977 near a Syrian checkpoint during Lebanon’s civil war, a crime widely attributed to Syria’s military presence.
Al-Sharaa, who led the Islamist rebels that ousted Assad, acknowledged the historic tensions.
He stated, “Syria was a source of concern and disturbance, and its interference in Lebanese affairs was negative.
Syria will no longer be a case of negative interference in Lebanon.
He also reiterated allegations of Assad’s involvement in the 2005 assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, calling for accountability.
This visit marks Jumblatt as the first prominent Lebanese figure to engage with Syria’s new leadership since the Assad dynasty ended.
Both leaders expressed a commitment to respecting each other’s sovereignty and moving toward stability in the region.
Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a former ally of Assad, cast doubts on Syria’s future under its new government, accusing the U.S. and Israel of orchestrating the unrest.
Khamenei said, “Now they feel victory, the Americans, the Zionist regime, and those who accompanied them, while urging young Syrians to resist external interference.
As Syria faces a critical period of rebuilding and redefining its foreign relations, Jumblatt’s visit signals a cautious but hopeful attempt at reconciliation between two nations with a deeply intertwined history.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
