A newspaper talks about an Iraqi advice to Syria not to enter Lebanon

 The Lebanese  newspaper Al-Akhbar,   which is  close to Hezbollah, said that the  Iraqi government  has "advised the Syrian leadership  not to get involved in the Lebanese file, in light of the mounting pressure to push Damascus to play a role in the confrontation with Hezbollah."

The newspaper quoted information, the source of which did not say, that any Syrian involvement in the Lebanese arena will have direct repercussions on Syria itself, referring to  the Iraqi side, which  told Damascus that "in the event that Hezbollah is exposed to any danger emanating from Syrian territory, the Iraqi resistance factions will not remain idle, and that every Syrian step towards Lebanon may be followed by an Iraqi step towards Syria."

The sources added that according to Al-Akhbar newspaper, Baghdad pointed out that Damascus's involvement in this track would open the door to security and regional repercussions that are not in Syria's interest, and do not serve efforts to stabilize internal stability or rearrange its relations with neighboring countries.

According to the sources, President Ahmed al-Sharaa informed Iraqi officials that the US administration had already asked him to intervene in the Lebanese file and take a stand against Hezbollah, but he confirmed that he rejected this request, stressing that Damascus is not in the mood to engage in the Lebanese arena or return to the previous policies of intervention, considering that maintaining Syria's stability and avoiding the opening of new fronts are a priority for its leadership at the current stage.

Syria's involvement in Lebanon requires Turkey's cover

The Iraqi letter, according to Al-Akhbar, comes in the wake of increasing US pressure to push Damascus to play a role in the Lebanese file, and in this context, informed sources had put the latest hints of US President Donald Trump on the possibility of requesting Syria's intervention against Hezbollah within the framework of political intimidation and media pressure rather than practical options that can be implemented, pointing out that previous Syrian messages were conveyed to the party through Turkish channels and regional bodies that confirmed that Damascus It is not interested in getting involved in Lebanese affairs and seeks to turn the page on the past.

According to Al-Akhbar, these positions intersect with estimates that any Syrian engagement of this kind cannot take place without clear Turkish cover, which is not yet available, as Ankara is looking with concern at any arrangements that might lead to the strengthening of Israeli influence in Syria and Lebanon.

Follow-up sources pointed out that "the Iraqi message cannot be separated from the regional atmosphere that followed the mass funeral of the martyr Sayyid Ali Khamenei in Iraq, which they saw as an indication of the extent of mobilization and solidarity within the Shiite circles in the region." According to this reading, "Any Syrian involvement in a confrontation with Hezbollah will not be seen as a Lebanese or Syrian affair only, which threatens to expand the circle of confrontation to include new arenas in the region."

Al-Zaid to visit Syria this month

In the same context, the sources revealed that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi intends to visit Damascus this month, where he will hold talks with President Al-Sharia on the future of relations between the two countries, in addition to files of a religious and political nature.

The sources said that al-Zaidi will discuss with President al-Sharaa a package of economic steps, including supplying Syria with oil, restarting the supply line of the Baniyas refinery, and opening the Iraqi market to Syrian products.

The Iraqi official will discuss with the Syrian leadership "the situation of the Shiite component in Syria, and ways to provide guarantees to protect its rights and secure religious places, especially the shrine of Sayyida Zainab, in addition to discussing mechanisms to enhance the participation of the various Syrian components in state institutions, in line with the stability path sought by Damascus," she added.

The newspaper quoted sources as saying that al-Zaidi will discuss with President al-Sharia "the file of the Lebanese and Syrians who were displaced or displaced from the villages of the countryside of Homs after the fall of the former regime, in terms of discussing the possibility of creating the appropriate conditions for their return," noting that the program of al-Zaidi's visit will include a tour of the Umayyad Mosque and the shrine of Sayyida Zainab, where it is expected that al-Zaidi will announce the resumption of religious visits to the shrine and the return of Iraqi visitors to it, as part of the revitalization of the religious movement between the two countries.