Political Tension in Lebanon: Berri Added Syria's Intervention in Hezbollah, Linked to Iran-US Agreement

Lebanon Parliament Speaker Nebih Berri delivered an important political message by explicitly stating that Syria has no intention of intervening in the Hezbollah issue. Emphasizing that his meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Esad Şeybani last week took place in complete transparency, Berri noted that all issues regarding joint files and regional situations were put on the table extremely clearly. This statement aims to alleviate concerns regarding a potential Syrian intervention in Lebanon's internal affairs. Berri's statements are of great importance for understanding the current trajectory of diplomatic relations between Lebanon and its neighbor, Syria. Considering the regional balance of power, such high-level meetings and statements are among the fundamental elements shaping Lebanon's foreign policy orientations.

On the other hand, it is reported that in Lebanon's domestic political arena, the relationship between Parliament Speaker Berri and President Joseph Aun is going through an extremely cold period. According to information leaked from Eyüptine (Ayn el-Tine) circles, the channels of communication between the two leaders are almost completely frozen. It is stated that the relations between Baabda, where the Presidential Palace is located, and Berri's office carry a 'very cold' atmosphere. This domestic political crisis also complicates the resolution of the already existing economic and social problems in the country. The deepening of the disagreement between the two leaders causes the political deadlock in Lebanon to become even more visible.

It has been learned that in order to mend this domestic political rift, Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Prince Faysal bin Farhan made mediation attempts, but these efforts have had limited impact so far. The Saudi Minister's initiatives could only manage to open an indirect and feeble communication channel between President Aun's advisor Andre Rahal and Parliament Speaker Berri's close colleague Member of Parliament Ali Hasan Halil. These low-level contacts, initiated to thaw the frozen relations between the parties, seem far from achieving any concrete progress. The expected breakthrough has not occurred, and the main issues and disputed files remain unresolved. Even the active mediation role played by Saudi Arabia, as a regional power, in Lebanese politics has not been sufficient to overcome the current crisis.

Clarifying his political vision for the coming period, Berri argues that comprehensive agreements reached at the international level should be relied upon. He emphasized the need to strictly return to the provisions of the Iran-US memorandum of understanding, which is part of the negotiations that began in Islamabad. Berri sees this memorandum as the main reference framework that will determine the future balances and political arrangements in the Lebanese arena. This approach reveals that Lebanon's domestic policies are closely linked not only to local dynamics but also to the regional strategies of global powers. The fact that negotiations by global actors such as Iran and the US directly affect Lebanon's destiny demonstrates how externally dependent the country's defense and foreign policies are.

In light of all these developments, Lebanese politics is caught in a position between internal power struggles and the regional strategies of external actors. Berri's statements regarding Syria and his reliance on the Iran-US agreement summarize the future vision of the Shia political movement in the country. At the same time, the cold relations with the President and the failure of Saudi mediation efforts prove how fragile the operation between state institutions is. Any major agreement to be signed or revised at the regional and international levels has the potential to instantly affect Lebanon's internal balances. In the upcoming period, the clarification of the details of the Islamabad memorandum and seeing how this agreement will be implemented on the ground will be decisive for Lebanon's political future. How all political actors in the country will adapt to these new global arrangements remains the biggest unanswered question.