Barack assures Lebanon on sovereignty after 'Bilad Al-Sham' gaffe

US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack has assured Lebanon amid recent tensions with Damascus, and after allegedly implying that Syria could seize Lebanese territory.

Concerns were raised last week after Barack reportedly said Lebanon risked "going back to Bilad Al-Sham" — a historic term for Greater Syria, which covered modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan — unless progress on the disarmament of Hezbollah and an improvement of relations with Damascus is achieved.

“You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again,” he told The National at the time.

“Syrians say Lebanon is our beach resort. So we need to move. And I know how frustrated the Lebanese people are. It frustrates me."

There have been rising tensions between Beirut and Damascus, including reports that Syria could annexe the city of Tripoli and other parts of northern and eastern Lebanon.

The earlier remarks were interpreted by many as a threat that Lebanon risked being taken over by its neighbours unless it acted on key political issues.

The outrage sparked by Barrack's recent interview forced the US envoy to issue a clarification on social media about the comments.

"My comments yesterday praised Syria’s impressive strides, not a threat to Lebanon," Barrack wrote on X.

"I observed the reality that Syria is moving at light speed to seize the historic opportunity presented by @POTUS’ lifting of sanctions: Investment from Turkiye and the Gulf, diplomatic outreach to neighboring countries and a clear vision for the future.

"I can assure that Syria’s leaders only want coexistence and mutual prosperity with Lebanon, and the US is committed to supporting that relationship between two equal and sovereign neighbors enjoying peace and prosperity."

Lebanese were equally alarmed by a recent Syria TV report that President Ahmed Al-Sharaa had threatened Beirut with diplomatic and economic sanctions unless Syrian detainees held in Lebanon were released, something that Damascus has since denied.

Beirut has said there is no communication with Damascus about Syrians being held in Lebanese jails and that while the government was open to resolving the issue, upholding national law was still paramount and no exceptions for those who threaten Lebanese security.

The Lebanese government was also forced to deny reports of incursions by armed Syrian elements, saying Lebanese forces are still in full control of the border regions.

There are still deep memories of Syria's occupation of Lebanon from 1976 to 2005, when as many as 9,000 Lebanese citizens were disappeared by Syrian security forces.

Washington has been pressuring Beirut on the disarmament of Hezbollah, following a US-brokered ceasefire with Israel ending its brutal bombardment of southern Lebanon.

Beirut has sent a seven-page document outlining the next steps towards a broader truce, including a pledge to ensure the government has a monopoly on arms and for Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories.