Lebanon is positioned between diplomacy and the threat of war as tensions with Israel persist and foreign mediation efforts accelerate. Israeli strikes and warnings continue, while political activity in Beirut remains active with ongoing meetings by French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian. 

In parallel, President Joseph Aoun arrived in Oman in a bid to pull the Lebanese file out of what officials describe as Iran’s bargaining game with the West and to detach Lebanon from a cycle of “burned cards” in regional negotiations.

According to information obtained by Nidaa Al-Watan, Aoun’s closed-door meeting with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq featured extensive discussions on multiple issues. The president offered a detailed briefing on Lebanon’s situation, particularly in the south, the functioning of the “Mechanism” framework, and Israel’s ongoing violations. Given Oman’s strong ties across the region — especially with the United States and Iran — talks also explored whether Muscat could help facilitate Lebanese-Israeli negotiations by mediating between both sides and narrowing gaps toward concrete outcomes.

The expanded meeting between the two sides also addressed bilateral relations, including activating joint committees, increasing coordination, and strengthening cooperation in the aviation sector. Additional meetings are expected to be held today due to the significance of the files on the table.

During his flight through Syrian airspace en route to Oman, President Aoun sent a telegram to Syrian President Ahmad Sharaa, expressing his best wishes for Syria’s stability, according to the state-run SANA agency.

A notable development on the mediation front is Turkey’s entry into indirect negotiations involving Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran. A well-informed source told Nidaa Al-Watan that Ankara has recently hosted multiple meetings between a senior official from Syria’s new leadership and a senior Hezbollah representative, as well as separate meetings between Syrian and Iranian officials.

Contrary to widespread speculation, the source said the talks were not held in a four-party format. Instead, Ankara arranged two separate trilateral tracks: Syrian–Hezbollah talks with Turkey as mediator, and Syrian–Iranian talks also mediated by Turkey. This arrangement allows Ankara to manage the pace and structure of the discussions and maintain leverage with all sides.

These meetings, according to the source, produced “positive” preliminary results and covered sensitive issues related to expected shifts in Syria’s political landscape. Discussions focused on restructuring the relationships between Damascus, Tehran, and Hezbollah in a way that preserves the interests of all three and prevents instability in ongoing understandings.

However, the main challenge to this Turkish-driven process, the source warned, is that it is unfolding without coordination with key Arab states, except for Qatar, which is aware of the details and has facilitated some meetings. This unilateral Turkish approach raises questions about how long the mediation track can continue and how Arab capitals might react, especially as they work to reintegrate Syria into the Arab fold through mutually agreed terms that Ankara does not appear to be considering.

Turkey’s independent maneuvering has implications not only for mediation efforts involving Damascus, Tehran, and Hezbollah, but also for broader regional balances and international support for Lebanon.

Sources told Nidaa Al-Watan that renewed international momentum behind a planned support conference for the Lebanese Army came after Beirut appointed former Ambassador Simon Karam as head of the Lebanese delegation in the “Mechanism” talks. Preparations for the conference continue, with a key meeting scheduled for December 18 in Paris.

According to the sources, France, the United States, and Saudi Arabia will press Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal to intensify efforts to enforce the confinement of weapons to areas south of the Litani River “as quickly as possible,” before expanding the process north of the river and eventually across all Lebanese territory.

Diplomats will also urge the army to publicly highlight its achievements rather than operate quietly, while insisting on a clear, phased timeline for implementation; one that sets an explicit end date and does not extend beyond the early months of 2026.