Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Rudolf Haykal met with US General Joseph Clearfield in Beirut for talks addressing Lebanon’s security situation and broader regional developments, according to Arab News.
The army stated that this extraordinary meeting took place during a brief visit by Clearfield and tackled various ways to elevate the effectiveness of the current mechanism and further promote its operational role.
Clearfield heads a committee overseeing a U.S.-backed ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
War in Iran
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
The conflict has spread across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead, triggering unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies especially after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Lebanon Involvement
Lebanon was drawn into the conflict on March 2 when Hezbollah launched a series of attacks to support its ally, Tehran.
As a result, Israel has launched an extensive military campaign that has since killed more than 2,000 people.
Extended Ceasefire
Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire last week after hosting the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors at the White House.
Despite the fact that the ceasefire has significantly reduced hostilities, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have continued to trade blows in southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces remain deployed within a self-declared “buffer zone,” maintaining an active military presence along the frontier.
A US official told Axios that Washington seeks to “massively increase” its political campaign against Hezbollah, while also exploring new avenues to elevate the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).
The official also noted that the US intends to take this step “on a very rapid timetable.”
Buffer Zone
On Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel should not maintain a permanent buffer zone within Lebanese territory, while the Lebanese army have to disarm the Iran-backed group.
“Israel has no territorial claims on Lebanon. There isn’t some part of Lebanon that Israel claims belongs to them,” Rubio said.
He further noted that Israel’s conflict is not with the Lebanese state itself, but with Hezbollah.
Rubio’s remarks followed two rounds of ambassador-level talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington.
He also described the talks as “very successful,” but stopped short of suggesting that Beirut would join the Abraham Accords in the near term.
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Trump Announces 10-Day Ceasefire between Lebanon, Israel
