The transitional president of Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa, during an interview on Syrian television, Feb. 3, 2025. (Screenshot from YouTube/SyriaTV)
The Syrian transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, stated on Monday that the Assad regime "fueled" the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990) and "fractured the power to manipulate it to its advantage," in an interview on Syrian television. He also blamed the former regime for the series of political assassinations that marked Lebanese history during that era and beyond.
"The Assad regime somehow fueled the civil war in Lebanon," said the Syrian leader. He added that Damascus "fractured the Lebanese power" to cement its influence over the neighboring country. According to him, this strategy allowed the Assad regime to "maintain a persistent grip on the Lebanese political scene," by exacerbating divisions and creating a "fractured system that it manipulated to its advantage."
Assassinations under the regime
Sharaa also pointed the finger at Damascus for its role in the assassinations of several major Lebanese political figures, stating that "all the leaders or political personalities assassinated in Lebanon were under the Assad regime ... Even after the official end of the Lebanese civil war, the former regime did not stop fueling tensions in Lebanon," he said, noting the regime's involvement in regional destabilization, especially by hosting and "relying on Iranian militias," without giving specific examples.
Under the Assad family, Lebanon was subjected to relentless tutelage for three decades. The Syrian army entered Lebanon in 1976 as part of an Arab force tasked with ending the civil war, before turning into a "tutelary force" in the country, overseeing all aspects of life. It was only driven out of Lebanon in 2005 under popular pressure after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, which was attributed to Damascus and its local ally, Hezbollah. This period was marked by the assassinations of several figures opposed to Damascus — politicians, intellectuals, journalists — attributed to Syria or its allies, that continued for several years.
In this long television interview, Sharaa also outlined the main lines of his project for the "new era" of Syria, mentioning national economic ambitions, an "economic rescue" of the country, as well as security and sectarian challenges to be addressed. He also discussed the reconstruction of the army, the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the international community, and the desire to restore Damascus's reputation.
De facto leader of Syria, Sharaa was appointed interim president a week ago. At the head of a rebel coalition dominated by the Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), he overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December after 13 years of civil war, ending over half a century of unchallenged rule by his family clan.