UN Security Council

UNIFIL Exit: Organizing the Withdrawal of 10,000 Peacekeepers from Southern Lebanon

On August 28, the UN Security Council voted to end the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on December 31, 2026. After nearly half a century of presence in southern Lebanon, the 10,000 peacekeepers will be required to withdraw in 2027. The operation will be complex – logistically, militarily and diplomatically. How ...

Bolton: Disarming Hezbollah Is Key to Middle East Peace

In an article to the Telegraph on Sunday, former US National Security Advisor John Bolton warned that Lebanon faces an existential choice: emerge from decades of war or again fall into civil conflict and terrorist domination. He argued that Israel’s strikes against Iran and its proxies following Hamas’s October 7 attack give Lebanon a chance ...

Lebanon Welcomes UN Security Council’s Renewal of UNIFIL Mandate

President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed on Thursday the United Nations Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until December 31, 2026. President Aoun thanked all 15 Security Council members for their unanimous support, singling out France as penholder for ...

Macron Announces Two Conferences to Support Lebanese Army and National Reconstruction

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on X on Friday that two major conferences will be held by the end of the year to support Lebanon: one focused on the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), described as the “pillar of national sovereignty,” and a second dedicated to the country’s recovery and reconstruction. Macron said his personal envoy, ...

Security Council Grants Final Extension of UNIFIL’s Mandate

The United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until December 31, 2026, setting in motion a final withdrawal of the peacekeeping force by the end of 2027. For the first time, the resolution introduces a clear timetable for winding down UNIFIL’s presence. France ...

Lebanon Welcomes UN Decision on UNIFIL Mandate

President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed on Thursday the United Nations Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until December 31, 2026. President Aoun thanked all 15 Security Council members for their unanimous support, singling out France as penholder ...

UN Security Council Votes for Lebanon Peacekeepers to Leave in 2027

The Security Council voted Thursday for UN peacekeepers to leave Lebanon in 2027, allowing one final extension after pressure from Israel and its US ally to end the nearly 50-year-old force. Israel hailed the termination of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and urged the Beirut government to exert its authority after an Israeli ...

Europe Powers Move to Iran Sanctions 'Snapback' Over Nuclear Drive

France, Britain and Germany on Thursday triggered a mechanism to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran for failing to comply with commitments over its nuclear program signed a decade ago. The three countries notified the UN Security Council that they "believe Iran to be in significant non-performance of its commitments" under the ...

Macron Voices Support for Lebanon’s Weapons Restriction Plan

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday expressed support for the Lebanese government’s plan to restrict weapons, describing it as a key step that must be carried out carefully, “especially since it has received broad European and international backing.” In a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Macron discussed ...

UN Security Council to Vote Thursday on UNIFIL’s Future

The UN Security Council is set to vote Thursday on the future of the blue helmet peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon, which has faced U.S. and Israeli opposition. The Panamanian presidency of the Council announced that the session, repeatedly postponed, will be held on Thursday. Some 10,800 peacekeepers have been acting as a buffer between ...

Iran Says Return of IAEA Inspectors not Full Resumption of Cooperation

Iran said Wednesday that the return of UN nuclear inspectors did not represent a full resumption of cooperation, which was suspended in the aftermath of June attacks by Israel and the United States. A team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency has returned to Iran, its director general Rafael Grossi said, the first to enter ...

Final Attempt to Mend Rift Before Cabinet Session

In one week, the Cabinet is scheduled to meet — unless delayed — to review an army plan implementing the government’s decision to confine all weapons to state control. The coming days promise significant developments: it includes US Senator Lindsey Graham’s visit to Beirut with envoys Morgan Ortagus and Thomas Barrack, an anticipated ...