Israel-Iran: Macron will host Lebanon’s prime minister and its army chief on Friday

French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Lebanese Army Chief Joseph Aoun on Friday in Paris amid strong domestic and regional tensions, the Elysee Palace announced on Thursday.

The head of the Lebanese government is expected at the Elysee Palace at noon, his press service said, as Lebanon plunges into a major political crisis and faces the risk of escalating the situation in the Middle East after Iran’s attack on Israel.

Lebanon’s chief of staff, who already met with European counterparts in Italy in March to seek help for his army, will also be present, the French presidential spokesman added, without further details.

General Aoun is a key element of internal stability

The army plays a crucial role in maintaining Lebanon’s stability. General Aoun has good relations with most parties and is sometimes cited as the solution to the political crisis rocking the country.

Since the end of the mandate of President Michel Aoun (no family connection to Joseph Aoun) on October 31, 2022, Lebanese MPs have been unable to agree on the appointment of a successor, and parliament is divided between the pro-Islamist movement camp. Iranian Hezbollah and its opponents.

Najib Mikati, who heads an outgoing government with limited powers, is the de facto leader of Lebanon, which fears being drawn into a wide-scale conflict with Israel.

France is looking for a solution

Since 2020, France, a former mandate power, has been involved in finding a solution in a country suffering from repeated political blockages and in the midst of an economic collapse, having failed to overcome differences between the parties.

President Macron, after twice trying to move the front line by personally visiting Beirut, entrusted a mission in this sense to his former Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in 2023.

Multiplying tension

Since the conflict in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, Lebanon has been the scene of regular skirmishes between Hezbollah and Israel.

The situation further deteriorated following an Iranian attack on Israeli territory using more than 350 drones and missiles on Saturday night, raising fears of a new regional escalation.

Israel said it reserved the “right of defense” but provided no information about the means, date or purpose of the possible operation.

A local Hezbollah commander was killed in southern Lebanon on Tuesday by the Israeli army in a series of strikes, with a powerful Iranian-backed force claiming responsibility for attacks in northern Israel.

Lebanon must also cope with two million Syrians fleeing their country’s civil war, the highest per capita refugee population in the world.