The visit by a delegation of ambassadors from the 15 member states of the UN Security Council to Lebanon and Syria on Wednesday and Thursday marks a significant diplomatic manoeuvre during a period of heightened volatility in the Middle East. Led by Samuel Zbogar, representing Slovenia, which holds the Council presidency for December, the mission represents the Council’s first official trip to both countries in recent times. The timing is particularly striking as tensions rise along the Lebanese border with Israel and fears grow that Israeli military activity may expand further into Lebanese territory.
Zbogar has described the trip as an important gesture of solidarity with the people of Syria and Lebanon. It is intended to give envoys a clearer grasp of the political and security challenges confronting both states. Official Security Council visits are notoriously complex to organise because they require unanimous consent among the 15 members. This one has been especially difficult to arrange due to the region’s volatile conditions and widespread concern for the envoys’ safety.
In Syria, the delegation’s presence carries added weight because it comes nearly a year after the collapse of the former Assad regime. The country is in the midst of a delicate political transition, and the visit to Damascus will include meetings with President Ahmed al Sharaa. Till last month, al-Sharaa had been on a United Nations sanctions list and formally designated a terrorist by the Council. The recent decision to lift those sanctions cleared the way for him to travel openly and to hold notable meetings with US President Donald Trump in Washington and with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Syria is expected to feature prominently throughout the Council’s December agenda. Diplomats intend to use the visit to assess whether al-Sharaa’s vision for the country aligns with the approach the Council believes is necessary for Syria’s post-conflict reconstruction and governance. The al-Sharaa regime is facing growing pressure from minority groups, including Kurds, Alawites and Druze, who are pushing for greater decentralisation. Although the Council has made clear that it will not intrude on Syria’s internal choices, Zbogar has stressed that delegates will meet representatives from all communities and listen closely to their views. He expressed hope that the trip would help restore Syrians’ confidence in the United Nations after years in which they felt abandoned during Assad’s rule.
A major external factor shaping the Council’s work is Israel’s continued military activity in and around the Golan Heights. UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric has said the organisation remains deeply concerned about repeated Israeli attacks, which it sees as violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. With the civil war officially concluded, the Council now faces the task of redefining the United Nations’ future presence in the country and revisiting earlier resolutions drafted in the wartime context. This challenge is compounded by the fact that the United States and Russia, both permanent Council members, backed opposing sides during the war, yet now find themselves engaged diplomatically with Syria’s new leadership.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that an agreement with Syria is possible, but only if Damascus accepts a stringent set of conditions. He has demanded a demilitarised buffer zone stretching from the capital to Mount Hermon, arguing that such a zone is vital for Israel’s security. Israel seized this area following the fall of Assad in December 2024, which extended its occupation of Syrian land. Critics say Netanyahu’s demands reveal a desire for further Syrian territory and a continuation of permanent conflict. Talks aimed at reaching a settlement have stalled largely because of Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the land appropriated over the past year. Israel is also said to be insisting on maintaining an aerial corridor across Syria to Iran for potential future air strikes. These positions were underscored by a recent Israeli raid in Beit Jinn near Damascus, which killed 13 people and was condemned by Syria’s new authorities as a war crime.
Trump has, meanwhile, urged Israel to maintain what he called “strong and true dialogue” with Syria and emphasised the need to avoid any action that could obstruct the country’s political development. He has also praised al Sharaa’s efforts to stabilise Syria and build a more constructive relationship with Israel. Shortly after Trump’s remarks, Netanyahu’s office announced that the two men had spoken by telephone and that the Israeli prime minister had been invited to the White House. Trump’s special envoy Tom Barrack has travelled to Damascus, highlighting Washington’s commitment to securing progress in the midst of a rapidly shifting regional landscape.
In Lebanon, the delegation is focusing on developments along the southern border where United Nations peacekeepers, known as UNIFIL, are deployed. The ambassadors will travel to Beirut before proceeding to South Lebanon for a detailed tour tomorrow. They will observe UN deployment zones and receive briefings on recent border incidents and the fragile calm maintained by the peacekeeping mission.
A central aim of the visit is to evaluate adherence to Security Council Resolutions 1701 and 1559, which concern the ceasefire, the cessation of hostilities and the prohibition of weapons held outside the authority of the Lebanese state. Diplomats have confirmed that Hezbollah’s disarmament will be a key subject in discussions with Lebanese officials. The Council also intends to send a clear message of support to Lebanese state institutions, particularly the Lebanese Army, which is widely regarded as the principal guardian of security and stability in the border area.
The stakes are high because the mandate for UNIFIL expires at the end of 2026. By then, South Lebanon may still require an international military presence to underpin any long-term security arrangements. During the visit, UNIFIL’s leadership will brief the delegation on the operational challenges facing the force and on the pressures created by the broader regional confrontation.