"Akhbar al-Yawm" agency

Trump’s Middle East Tour Reshapes Alliance: How Syria Reclaimed Its Seat... And What Lebanon Must Learn!

Lebanon cannot remain idle on the sidelines

U.S. President Donald Trump recently concluded a high-profile regional tour that included stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Notably, Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa was hosted as a guest of honor after the U.S. lifted sanctions on his country.

Lebanon received a clear and direct message from President Trump: the country now has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rid itself of Hezbollah and embark on a path toward prosperity and peace with its neighbors.

Will Lebanon succeed in embracing the new regional reality?

A well-informed source, speaking to the "Akhbar al-Yawm" agency, described the scene in Saudi Arabia as a powerful indication that the kingdom - not Israel - is the United States’ principal partner in the region. While Israel maintains a deep-rooted emotional and historical connection with the U.S., the events clearly demonstrated that Riyadh is the key interlocutor for resolving Middle Eastern issues.

"The fact that sanctions on Syria were lifted and President Trump met with Al-Sharaa at the kingdom's request underscores Saudi Arabia’s central role. Any regional solution will now pass through Riyadh, not any other capital", the source emphasized.

The source drew a stark comparison between the situations in Syria and Lebanon. In Syria, Al-Sharaa successfully led a complete transformation, repositioning the country as an integral part of the Arab world and the Saudi-led strategic vision. Damascus has now regained both Arab and international legitimacy, placing itself at the heart of a shifting regional order.

Lebanon, by contrast, has yet to undergo a full-fledged transformation. While it has made strategic shifts, they fall short of a decisive break with its former status quo. As a result, Lebanon remains in a state of political paralysis, passively observing regional developments from the sidelines.

The source acknowledged that Lebanon has indeed made significant progress: Hezbollah can no longer wield the state as a political card, nor does it hold sway over official positions or the management of borders with Syria and Israel. However, the continued presence of illegal weapons blocks the state from receiving international assistance or asserting a monopoly over arms.

Commenting on remarks by U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, who suggested Lebanon could learn from Al-Sharaa’s collaboration with Saudi Arabia and engagement with President Trump, the source said this was a clear call for Lebanese leadership to take initiative. "Lebanon cannot remain idle on the sidelines", he warned, stressing that the state must assume full control of all weaponry.

One of the key conditions Syria met to regain international support was eliminating the presence of Hezbollah, Iran, and any armed militias on its territory. As long as Lebanon does not meet similar conditions, aid will remain out of reach.

The source posed a critical question: "What purpose does Hezbollah’s arsenal serve today? Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon and the region is effectively over. Israel strikes its positions daily without response, proving the group is no longer capable of action".

He concluded: "The Lebanese state must act as a sovereign state. We are now standing at the threshold of a foundational period for the nation’s future".