U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut on Tuesday morning as part of an effort to defuse the escalating situation in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire daily since the onset of the Gaza war.
Amos Hochstein © LNS
U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut on Tuesday morning as part of an effort to defuse the escalating situation in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire daily since the onset of the Gaza war.
According to an official statement, Hochstein is scheduled to meet with outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati "at his residence in Beirut" at noon. The National News Agency (NNA) reported that Hochstein arrived around 11 a.m. at Ain el-Tineh to meet with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. He also met with Lebanese Army Commander Joseph Aoun earlier in the morning.
Hochstein was in Israel on Monday, where he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This visit comes just days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated during a Middle East tour that a ceasefire in Gaza is the best way to end the violence between Hezbollah and Israel.
The U.S. envoy's visit to Beirut underscores the urgent need for diplomatic intervention as the conflict continues to intensify, posing a significant threat to regional stability. Hochstein's meetings with key Lebanese leaders are seen as a critical step in seeking a resolution to the ongoing hostilities and restoring peace in the region.
The United States launched on Wednesday its first airstrikes in the Middle East since suspending its bombing campaign last week, hitting Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq jointly with Saudi Arabia, while Tehran spurned an Omani plan to manage the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed several drones that attempted to target oil facilities in the kingdom's Eastern Province.
Iran on Tuesday executed two men for their role in nationwide protests in January, state media reported, among a series of death sentences that rights groups say have been handed out since the start of the war with the United States.
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