The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Muhammad al-Julani, described the presence of Iranian militias in Syria as “a source of concern for everyone.”

Speaking after a meeting with Walid Jumblatt, former leader of Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party, and Druze sheikhs, he said, “Iranian-backed militias have divided the Syrians.”

Al-Julani, whose real name is Ahmed al-Sharaa, also addressed the future of Syrian-Lebanese relations, saying, “Syria will no longer intervene negatively in Lebanon.” He accused the Assad government of promoting sectarianism to stay in power and trying to foster a culture of hatred.