US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged the Syrian administration to secure the border with Lebanon. Rubio stressed that this step is critical for Syria's stability by preventing the smuggling of weapons and equipment.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Rubio said, "What we are encouraging Syria to do is focus on the internal challenges it faces." The US secretary of state noted that Hezbollah is an enemy of the new Syrian government and has been trying to undermine it over time.
Rubio recalled that Washington removed Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and expressed hope that this step would contribute to the economic recovery the country "desperately needs."
The US Secretary of State said Syria has a history of different elements living together in peace, adding that the Damascus administration has a "great task" in this regard and that Washington is encouraging it to focus on this issue.
The Syria-Lebanon border stretches over 370 kilometers and is known as a sensitive area due to irregular crossings, including arms and drug smuggling.
After the fall of the deposed Bashar al-Assad regime at the end of 2024, Washington engaged with the new Syrian administration, lifted sanctions, and removed Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The move is said to aim at supporting the country's reintegration into the international community and promoting economic recovery.
Last week, US President Donald Trump said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa would deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon "in a different way than Israel." In an interview with Fox News, Trump stated that al-Sharaa would not resort to destroying buildings and would be "more precise" compared to the Israelis.
