Lebanon and Syria: Navigating Their Shared Histories and Destinies in the Post-Assad Era

In late 2024, and within the span of nearly two weeks, the political landscape in Lebanon and Syria was dramatically transformed with the Hezbollah–Israel ceasefire agreement and the rapid collapse of the Assad regime in early December. New administrations were formed in both countries soon after, which in turn set expectations of improved relations between Lebanon and Syria. However, in the spring of 2025, clashes erupted on the porous Lebanese–Syrian border—a border that remains ambiguous and subject to demarcation due to decades of sour Lebanese–Syrian relations. The clashes were a symptom of a larger issue resultant from the short-sighted, highly securitized approach adopted by the now-deposed Assad regime that fomented skepticism and stoked tensions between the two states. This is further exacerbated by Israel's repeated aggressions against, incursions into, and occupation of territory in both countries. These dynamics continue to threaten the prospects of lasting peace in bilad al-Sham (commonly translated as “the Levant”) and underscore the reality of the situation: two countries joined at the hip, long bound by a shared history, navigating their shared destinies in a post-Assad future. Moving forward, Lebanon and Syria must reset their relations and work together for regional peace and prosperity.