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Hochstein Heads to Beirut as UK FM Calls for ‘Immediate Calm’

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with MP Wael Abou Faour at the Grand Serail. (Government media)
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with MP Wael Abou Faour at the Grand Serail. (Government media)
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Hochstein Heads to Beirut as UK FM Calls for ‘Immediate Calm’

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with MP Wael Abou Faour at the Grand Serail. (Government media)
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with MP Wael Abou Faour at the Grand Serail. (Government media)

US special envoy Amos Hochstein is expected to arrive in Beirut on Wednesday after holding talks in Israel aimed at easing the soaring tensions in the region.

Tensions have skyrocketed after Israel’s assassination of Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and top Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut last month. Iran-backed Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate, threatening to lead the region to full-scale war.

Lebanese officials confirmed that Hochstein had requested urgent meetings with parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

A senior Lebanese official told Asharq Al-Awsat the envoy is seeking to calm the situation, while possibly relaying Israeli messages or proposals.

Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy telephoned Mikati on Tuesday to urge calm and demand an “immediate” end to the fighting.

He stressed the need for all parties to calm the situation urgently and immediately.

Mikati, for his part, expressed his gratitude to Britain’s “constant” keenness on Lebanon’s stability.

On Tuesday, the PM held a series of meetings at the Grand Serail to follow up on emergency plans should a wide-scale war erupt between Hezbollah and Israel.

A statement from his office said: “The main concern that is uniting all the Lebanese people is confronting the Israeli threats and ongoing attacks against Lebanon.”

He underlined the need for the international community and international organizations to perform their duties towards Lebanon and support it during these difficult times, especially since the country is already overwhelmed by the burden of Syrian refugees.

“The Israeli aggression and threats must act as added incentive for the Lebanese to unite and to refrain from side quarrels,” he urged.

MP Wael Abou Faour also met with Mikati. He said Lebanon is holding a series of political and diplomatic contacts aimed at averting the war.

At the end of the day, the solution lies in a ceasefire in Gaza, he noted.

Meanwhile, the Kataeb party politburo criticized on Tuesday the “government’s rush to cover the hefty cost of the displacement of tens of thousands of residents from the South and its blunt announcement that the international community was not being receptive to its demands for more funds to cover the potential losses.”

“This leads to a very obvious question: Wouldn’t it have been better for this government to have taken the initiative in the first place and prevent Lebanon from being dragged into a futile war, instead of lamenting the situation and pleading for help from all directions?” it added.

“Hezbollah is primarily responsible for the current situation,” it stressed, while criticizing the government for initially “yielding to pressure from the party and relinquishing its decision-making power and sovereignty of the state, and agreed to become a front for an armed militia that boasts of making plans and carrying them out to serve its interests and Iran, dragging Lebanon and the Lebanese towards the unknown.”

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Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
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Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to the Middle East, stating that Moscow “has not and will not withdraw from the region.” He emphasized ongoing communication with Syria’s new leadership and expressed readiness to support the political process in the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov attributed Syria’s deteriorating situation to the previous regime, blaming its unwillingness to implement reforms and share power with the opposition.

“The refusal of the former Syrian regime to make any changes or share power with the opposition was one of the primary reasons for its collapse,” he said.

Lavrov noted that over the past decade, since President Bashar al-Assad requested Russian intervention in the Syrian war and the launch of the Astana peace process, Damascus had delayed advancing the political path.

“Despite support from Arab nations, Syrian authorities showed reluctance to move forward politically and sought to maintain the status quo,” he explained.

He highlighted Russia’s repeated calls for the Syrian government to engage with the Constitutional Committee, established during the 2018 Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, and to actively work on drafting a new constitution.

Lavrov also pointed to economic challenges exacerbated by sanctions, which have stifled Syria’s economy, and US control over oil-rich eastern regions. Resources were exploited to fuel separatist ambitions in northeastern Syria, he remarked.

Moreover, the FM revealed details of Moscow’s earlier discussions with Kurdish groups, reiterating his country’s position that Kurdish rights should be guaranteed within the constitutional frameworks of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Türkiye.

He argued that the previous Syrian regime’s reluctance to engage in political dialogue resulted in stalled reforms proposed by the United Nations, Moscow and Cairo platforms, and Istanbul-based opposition groups. This inaction, he said, created a vacuum that ultimately led to the collapse.

Furthermore, he dismissed claims that his country’s withdrawal from Syria would signal its departure from the Middle East.

“Russia has not and will not leave the region,” he declared. Without directly addressing the status of Russian military bases in Syria, Lavrov emphasized: “Our embassy never left Damascus, and we maintain ongoing communication with the authorities.”

He also stressed Russia’s willingness to facilitate inclusive dialogue involving all national, political and sectarian factions, as well as relevant international stakeholders. Lavrov underscored that recent discussions with Türkiye, Gulf nations, and other parties demonstrated widespread agreement that Russia and Iran must be involved in the Syrian peace process if sustainable results are to be achieved.

For his part, Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East and Africa, reaffirmed Russia’s focus on developments in Syria, describing relations with Damascus as a “priority of Russian foreign policy.”

Reports on Tuesday suggested that Bogdanov might soon lead a Russian delegation to Damascus. However, a Russian diplomatic source informed Asharq Al-Awsat that no date for the visit has been confirmed. The visit, which was reportedly postponed, would mark the first by a senior Russian official to Damascus since the fall of Assad’s regime in December.

Meanwhile, media reports indicated that Moscow is facing logistical challenges in withdrawing military equipment from Syria, due to restrictions imposed by Syrian authorities on the movement of Russian ships in territorial waters.

According to the English-language edition of RT, the Russian ship Sparta 2, designated to transport military equipment and weapons, was denied entry to the Port of Tartus, where Russia maintains its only overseas naval base.