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Russian Envoy Visits Iran to Consolidate Stability in Syria

Alexander Lavrentiev, the Russian president’s special envoy to Syria, meets with Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in Tehran on Tuesday. (Tasnim)
Alexander Lavrentiev, the Russian president’s special envoy to Syria, meets with Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in Tehran on Tuesday. (Tasnim)
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Russian Envoy Visits Iran to Consolidate Stability in Syria

Alexander Lavrentiev, the Russian president’s special envoy to Syria, meets with Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in Tehran on Tuesday. (Tasnim)
Alexander Lavrentiev, the Russian president’s special envoy to Syria, meets with Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in Tehran on Tuesday. (Tasnim)

Alexander Lavrentiev, the Russian presidential envoy to Syria, arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for high-level discussions aimed at bolstering coordination between Moscow and Tehran on developments in the Middle East and promoting regional stability.

A Russian diplomatic source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the visit comes as part of “Moscow’s broader efforts to stabilize the region and prevent foreign interference aimed at undermining its security.”

The source added that Russia is seeking to “normalize relations between regional actors” to lay the groundwork for long-term stability.

According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, Lavrentiev met in Tehran with Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and held separate talks with Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister.

An Iranian statement carried by Russian state media said the talks reaffirmed the shared position of Moscow and Tehran on developments in the Middle East, stressing the importance of preserving Syria’s territorial integrity, defending its sovereignty, and preventing the country from becoming a breeding ground for terrorism.

While the discussions also addressed the reimposition of European sanctions on Iran in connection with its nuclear program, the timing of Lavrentiev’s visit drew particular attention. It followed just days after Syrian interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa's visit to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.

Analysts have linked the two visits, noting Lavrentiev’s longstanding role in managing discussions on the Syrian conflict through the Astana peace process.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not commented on the visit, and details have largely come from Iranian sources.

However, experts in Moscow view the trip as part of a Russian push to encourage Iran to refrain from interfering in Syria’s internal affairs.

The Russian diplomatic source explained that Lavrentiev’s visit reflects Moscow’s strategy to normalize relations among all states in the Middle East, including Iran, which it views as a “major regional power.”

Russia has a direct security interest in maintaining stability in its near neighborhood, he remarked.

He underlined that Iran, alongside Türkiye, has been a key partner in years-long efforts to reach a political settlement in Syria. Through the Astana framework, the parties have coordinated to ease tensions, uphold ceasefires, and reduce the suffering of civilians.

“With the end of the previous era and the arrival of a new Syrian administration,” the diplomat said, “there is a growing need for continued coordination among various regional actors, particularly Russia, Türkiye, Iran, and the Gulf states, to ensure security and stability throughout the region.”

He added that Moscow is seeking to counter any external schemes aimed at destabilizing the Middle East, pointing specifically to “Israeli expansionist policies and US attempts to impose direct hegemony over the region.”

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Arab World

Israel Strikes Southern Lebanon, 8 Dead in Attacks on Cars South of Beirut

Lebanese rescuers and army soldiers inspect the wreckage of a vehicle that was hit in an Israeli strike in Jiyeh town, south of Beirut, Lebanon, 13 May 2026. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Lebanese rescuers and army soldiers inspect the wreckage of a vehicle that was hit in an Israeli strike in Jiyeh town, south of Beirut, Lebanon, 13 May 2026. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
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Israel Strikes Southern Lebanon, 8 Dead in Attacks on Cars South of Beirut

Lebanese rescuers and army soldiers inspect the wreckage of a vehicle that was hit in an Israeli strike in Jiyeh town, south of Beirut, Lebanon, 13 May 2026. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Lebanese rescuers and army soldiers inspect the wreckage of a vehicle that was hit in an Israeli strike in Jiyeh town, south of Beirut, Lebanon, 13 May 2026. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

The Israeli military said it launched a new wave of strikes across southern Lebanon Wednesday, despite a truce with the Lebanese government to halt fighting with Hezbollah.

"The IDF has begun striking Hezbollah terror infrastructure in several areas in southern Lebanon," the military said, hours after issuing fresh evacuation warnings for six villages in the Tyre region.

 

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern area of Burj al-Shamali, as seen from the city of Tyre on May 13, 2026. (Photo by KAWANT HAJU / AFP)

 

Israeli strikes also targeted several cars on a major highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon, state media reported.

The attacks took place near Jiyeh and Barja. Eight people, including a woman and her child, were killed in the attacks, the Public Health Emergency Operations Center said.

On Saturday, similar strikes targeted two other cars in the same area.

Israel has kept up airstrikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah despite a truce since April 17 aimed at halting the fighting.

On Tuesday, 13 people were killed in attacks on towns in the south, according to Lebanon's health ministry, which said a total of 380 people had been killed since the start of the ceasefire.

The violence came with Lebanon and Israel due to hold a new round of direct negotiations in Washington on Thursday, brokered by the United States.

 

Arab World

Defections Hit Sudan’s RSF … Has the Breakup Phase Begun?

Sudanese Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan welcoming Major General Al-Nour Al-Qubba, who defected from the Rapid Support Forces (Sovereignty Council)
Sudanese Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan welcoming Major General Al-Nour Al-Qubba, who defected from the Rapid Support Forces (Sovereignty Council)
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Defections Hit Sudan’s RSF … Has the Breakup Phase Begun?

Sudanese Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan welcoming Major General Al-Nour Al-Qubba, who defected from the Rapid Support Forces (Sovereignty Council)
Sudanese Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan welcoming Major General Al-Nour Al-Qubba, who defected from the Rapid Support Forces (Sovereignty Council)

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are facing a growing wave of defections, raising questions over the future of the paramilitary group’s military cohesion and tribal alliances as the conflict with the Sudanese army enters its fourth year and turns into a prolonged war of attrition.

The latest and most prominent defection came from senior field commander Ali Rizqallah, known as “Al-Safana,” one of the RSF’s leading battlefield commanders in Darfur and Kordofan.

His departure follows a series of similar moves in recent months, including the defection of Major General Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known as “Al-Nour Al-Qubba,” and field commander Bishara Al-Huwaira, who left RSF ranks in North Kordofan weeks ago. Before them, Abu Aqla Keikel, commander of the Sudan Shield Forces, became one of the first high-profile defectors in late 2024.

Observers say Al-Huwaira’s defection carries particular military significance because of his position in the Bara area near El-Obeid, the Sudanese army’s main stronghold in North Kordofan. The area is a strategic junction linking western Sudan with the east and center of the country and serves as a key corridor for supplies, fuel and fighters.

Local reports said Al-Huwaira joined the Sudanese army with a force of between 11 and 15 fully equipped combat vehicles, in what was seen as another blow to the RSF despite efforts by its leadership to downplay the impact.

After Al-Nour Al-Qubba defected in April, there was speculation that Al-Safana would be the next commander to leave, especially after reports emerged that he had withdrawn from the battlefield and traveled abroad. He later appeared in a video denying those reports before formally announcing his defection weeks later.

Sources said Al-Safana had left the frontlines for Uganda before traveling to India for medical treatment. He later appeared in a video from an undisclosed location believed to be in India, announcing he had left the RSF.

Although Al-Safana said he was not aligning himself with any armed faction, sources close to the Sudanese army expect him to formally join the military. RSF sources, meanwhile, insisted that the move posed no real threat to the force or to the “Sudan Founding Alliance” project run by the RSF in areas under its control.

RSF leaders say the departure of some commanders has not altered the balance of power on the ground, stressing the group still controls territories it captured during the war and that field units linked to those commanders continue to fight under its banner.

But analysts say the defections carry significance beyond their immediate military effect because of the RSF’s structure, which relies heavily on tribal loyalties, local alliances and influential field commanders, particularly in Darfur.

Unlike conventional armies with centralized command structures, the RSF has relied since its inception on tribal alliances and armed groups with overlapping loyalties. While that structure helped it expand rapidly, it also left it vulnerable to internal divisions and shifting allegiances as the war dragged on.

Analysts also attribute the defections to growing tensions within the RSF leadership, where commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, and his brother Abdel Rahim Dagalo control military decision-making, reportedly sidelining some field commanders.

While the defections are unlikely to immediately shift the military balance, observers say they could deepen internal instability within the RSF and gradually weaken its military and tribal cohesion.

Arab World

Aoun Awards Al-Bukhari the National Order of the Cedar: Saudi Arabia Remains a Steadfast Supporter of Lebanon

President Joseph Aoun awards Ambassador Waleed Al-Bukhari the National Order of the Cedar (Lebanese Presidency)
President Joseph Aoun awards Ambassador Waleed Al-Bukhari the National Order of the Cedar (Lebanese Presidency)
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Aoun Awards Al-Bukhari the National Order of the Cedar: Saudi Arabia Remains a Steadfast Supporter of Lebanon

President Joseph Aoun awards Ambassador Waleed Al-Bukhari the National Order of the Cedar (Lebanese Presidency)
President Joseph Aoun awards Ambassador Waleed Al-Bukhari the National Order of the Cedar (Lebanese Presidency)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed that Saudi Arabia remains a steadfast supporter of Lebanon, praising the role of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, meanwhile, commended the considerable efforts made by Saudi Ambassador Waleed Al-Bukhari to strengthen and deepen bilateral ties between the two countries.

Aoun made the remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with the Saudi ambassador at the presidential palace in Baabda where he awarded the diplomat the National Order of the Cedar, rank of Grand Officer, on the occasion of the conclusion of his diplomatic mission in Lebanon and in recognition of his efforts to enhance Lebanese-Saudi relations.

Aoun said that the ties binding Lebanon and Saudi Arabia transcend longstanding historical and brotherly relations, stressing that the Kingdom has, throughout the years, remained a constant pillar of support for Lebanon under all circumstances. He added that Saudi Arabia’s generous initiatives reflect its enduring commitment to the country’s stability and prosperity.

The Lebanese president also praised the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying their vision has contributed to promoting development and stability across the region.

Al-Bukhari thanked the president for awarding him the decoration and expressed hope that Lebanon would regain its pioneering regional role, and that its people would enjoy lasting security and stability.

The Ambassador also met Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri during a farewell visit that, according to a statement issued by the Speaker’s office, included discussions on the general situation in Lebanon and bilateral relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

In a separate farewell meeting, Salam received the diplomat at the Grand Serail, where he praised “the significant efforts exerted by Ambassador Al-Bukhari in consolidating and advancing bilateral relations between Lebanon and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as the pivotal role he played during a delicate period in our nation’s history.”