Hezbollah-appointed Lebanese official welcomed in Syria in first since fall of Assad regime

Hezbollah-appointed Lebanese Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar visited Syria on Monday alongside three other ministers, marking the first formal welcome of a Hezbollah official in Damascus since the fall of the Assad regime. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani received the delegation at the Masnaa-Jdeidet Yabous border crossing, which was closed in April over Israeli weapons smuggling allegations. The meeting covered Syrian refugees, trade, and border security.

Hezbollah-appointed Lebanese Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar visited Syria on Monday alongside three other Lebanese ministers, marking the first time a Hezbollah official has been formally welcomed in Damascus since the fall of the Assad regime. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani welcomed the delegation after they crossed through the Masnaa-Jdeidet Yabous border crossing, the same crossing that was closed in April over Israeli allegations that Hezbollah was using it to smuggle weapons. The delegation, which included Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, Education Minister Rima Karameh, and Social Development Minister Haneen Sayed, traveled for a high-level meeting to discuss Syrian refugees in Lebanon, trade agreements, and border security. Despite Damascus repeatedly accusing Hezbollah of infringing on its sovereignty, a Hezbollah representative told L'Orient Today that Damascus was made aware in advance of Haidar's background, adding, "We support anything that strengthens relations between the two countries." Reuters reported, citing six sources, that members of the new Syrian regime held a secret meeting with Hezbollah officials in Turkey, where a Syrian official said Hezbollah pledged not to interfere in Syria's affairs but did not directly answer a request to halt arms smuggling.