DUBAI(RAHNUMA): American ambassador Michel Issa met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday to discuss the course of negotiations and efforts aimed at ending Lebanon’s current crisis.
Speaking after the meeting, Issa said he conveyed Washington’s appreciation for positions recently expressed by Aoun in a televised interview, describing them as important in advancing the negotiation process.
He also stressed the importance Washington places on Lebanon, saying President Donald Trump follows developments in the country closely and discusses the Lebanese file regularly.
Referring to recent developments in the region, the ambassador described events that took place “yesterday” as a political message and said the United States had decided not to allow the confrontation to expand further.
Issa said the parties had reached “a point of no return” and that “the ice has been broken,” expressing confidence that negotiations are moving in a positive direction despite the likelihood that talks will take time to resolve all outstanding issues. Issa added that the United States would continue supporting efforts to help Lebanon emerge from its crisis and ease the suffering of its people.
The negotiations come as Washington continues efforts to preserve the ceasefire reached between Israel and Hezbollah in November 2024, which ended more than a year of cross-border hostilities and was intended to pave the way for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Despite the truce, both sides have traded accusations of violations, while Israeli strikes and security tensions have continued in parts of southern Lebanon.
