Syrian foreign minister visits Beirut after Trump suggests Syria should fight Hezbollah
The Syrian minister, Asaad al-Shibani, met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his first stop, and then headed for a meeting with the parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah
Assessment
The Syrian foreign minister's visit to Beirut carries layered diplomatic weight, coming right after a U.S. statement that appeared to push Syria into confronting Hezbollah. Meeting both the Lebanese president and a key Hezbollah ally suggests Damascus is balancing between American pressure and its longstanding ties with the Iran-backed group. The sequence of meetings will be watched for any shift in Syria's posture toward Hezbollah.