President Joseph Aoun welcoming Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani before a meeting at the Baabda Presidential Palace, on Oct. 10, 2025. (Credit: Lebanese Presidency)
Syrian-Israeli negotiations have resumed, while Lebanese-Israeli talks remain at a standstill. Israel has adopted a more militarized posture in both Lebanon and Syria, including a direct provocation toward Turkey. Damascus moved quickly to avoid further escalation. An initial contact was followed by a meeting between Syria's Foreign Minister Assaad Shaibani and Mossad chief Roman Gofman on Sunday in Jordan, suggesting a major development and a degree of urgency.Israel could use this development to increase pressure on Lebanon in the now-suspended direct negotiations. The meeting also took place outside the framework Damascus had previously proposed to Beirut, which stressed the need for coordination and the importance of avoiding a separate agreement with Israel. The meeting is therefore a setback for those who had called for the...
Syrian-Israeli negotiations have resumed, while Lebanese-Israeli talks remain at a standstill. Israel has adopted a more militarized posture in both Lebanon and Syria, including a direct provocation toward Turkey. Damascus moved quickly to avoid further escalation. An initial contact was followed by a meeting between Syria's Foreign Minister Assaad Shaibani and Mossad chief Roman Gofman on Sunday in Jordan, suggesting a major development and a degree of urgency.Israel could use this development to increase pressure on Lebanon in the now-suspended direct negotiations. The meeting also took place outside the framework Damascus had previously proposed to Beirut, which stressed the need for coordination and the importance of avoiding a separate agreement with Israel. The meeting is therefore a setback for those who had called for the...
