Blinken meets Lebanese PM as war rages

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Friday with Lebanon's premier curate to sermon Israel's strikes connected the state arsenic Washington presses the Beirut authorities to instrumentality complaint against Hezbollah.

Blinken, connected his mode backmost from a Middle East tour, met successful London with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who came successful from a league connected Lebanon successful Paris the time before.

The 2 smiled earlier the cameras but made nary remarks.

The United States, Israel's main governmental and subject ally, has stopped abbreviated of calling for an contiguous cease-fire successful its period of bombing of Lebanon targeting Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah.

But Blinken has besides called for a speedy diplomatic solution.

"We person been precise wide that this cannot pb -- should not pb -- to a protracted run and that Israel indispensable instrumentality the indispensable steps to debar civilian casualties and not endanger UN peacekeepers oregon the Lebanese Armed Forces," Blinken said Thursday successful Doha.

The United States has called for Lebanon's agelong wobbly cardinal authorities to instrumentality complaint of information and for the disarmament of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite question that efficaciously has its ain military.

Hezbollah has fired missiles astatine Israel successful solidarity with Hamas since the Palestinian militants' October 7, 2023 attack, which triggered Israel's monolithic subject battle successful Gaza.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin successful a telephone to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant connected Wednesday voiced interest implicit Israeli strikes connected the Lebanese service which person killed astatine slightest 11 Lebanese soldiers, according to an AFP tally of service announcements.