Photo courtesy of Anadolu
The United States urged Syria to concentrate on domestic stability and tighten security along its border with Lebanon amid concerns over weapons trafficking and attempts to destabilize the country.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was not seeking to draw Damascus into direct fighting with Hezbollah.
Instead, the US wanted Syria’s new government to address its internal security, political and economic challenges.
Washington also viewed stronger border controls as vital to preventing weapons and military supplies from moving between Syria and Lebanon.
US officials believed unchecked cross-border arms flows could threaten Syria’s fragile stability and strengthen groups seeking to undermine the government.
Rubio said Hezbollah remained hostile to Syria’s new leadership and had attempted to weaken it over time.
He also pointed to the removal of Syria from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism as a step intended to support economic recovery.
The appeal reflected Washington’s broader push for Damascus to prioritize rebuilding and internal order rather than become entangled in a wider regional conflict.