French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Lebanon on Friday to meet its newly elected leaders and discuss the ongoing ceasefire with Israel following the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war. The visit, his first in over four years,

Geopolitical shifts in the troubled Middle East, highlighted by the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iran's dwindling influence, present a rare opportunity for Lebanon to regain control of its own fate.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati hosted U.N. Friday evening at his residence in Beirut. The meeting was attended by U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix,

The visit by Prime Minister Najib Mikati was the first official trip by the Lebanese leader to meet with the new government of Syria.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati will meet Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on Saturday, two Lebanese sources said, becoming the first head of government to visit Syria's capital since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

Najib Mikati’s visit, the first in 15 years, comes amid pressure in Lebanon to release Islamists imprisoned during the civil war and just after the election of President Joseph Aoun.

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam said on Friday the formation of a new government would not be delayed, indicating a very positive atmosphere in discussions over its composition.

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, speaks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, center, and Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, as he signs a guest book at the presidential palace in

French President Emmanuel Macron Vows Support for Lebanese Army, Announces Training Centre. Macron, during his official visit to B..|News Track

France’s president began a visit to Lebanon Friday, where he will meet the crisis-hit country’s newly elected leaders, as the nation attempts to recover from the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.

French President Emmanuel Macron after his meeting with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, right, upon his arrival in Beirut, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025.