WorldPhoto: HT WorldLebanon President Seeks French Help to Avoid Security Vacuum in South
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to discuss preventing a security vacuum in southern Lebanon if UN peacekeepers withdraw at the end of 2026. Aoun expressed Lebanon's wish to extend UNIFIL's mandate but welcomed any international presence to avoid direct conflict between the Lebanese and Israeli armies. Barrot's visit aims to explore mechanisms for continued international presence amid ongoing tensions.
HT World··Beirut




