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LF Organizes National Conference to Outline ‘Roadmap to Save Lebanon’

The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, at the celebration of the "Memory of the Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" (Lebanese Forces)
The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, at the celebration of the "Memory of the Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" (Lebanese Forces)
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LF Organizes National Conference to Outline ‘Roadmap to Save Lebanon’

The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, at the celebration of the "Memory of the Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" (Lebanese Forces)
The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, at the celebration of the "Memory of the Martyrs of the Lebanese Resistance" (Lebanese Forces)

The Lebanese Forces party has called for a national conference to address the Israeli war on Lebanon.

The conference, which will take place at the party’s headquarters in Maarab, aims to establish a political framework to halt the war, in cooperation with Arab nations and the international community, according to sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The sources said invitations have been sent to opposition parties, independent MPs, and national figures, though key groups such as Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, and the Marada Movement have not been invited.

They also noted that the goal is to “create a roadmap to rescue Lebanon from the destruction caused by its involvement in the conflict and to alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese people, who have endured violence, displacement, and destruction.”

The conference will emphasize the need for peace, prosperity, and the reconstruction of Lebanon, reflecting the will of the majority of the Lebanese population who feel powerless in the face of ongoing turmoil, the sources stressed.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, a source within the LF said that the party has remained “strategically silent out of respect for the war’s victims” but now believes it is time to speak up. The party’s leader, Dr. Samir Geagea, will outline key solutions, including an immediate ceasefire, full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and the urgent election of a president. These proposals are intended to appeal to both domestic and international audiences, including Iran and Israel, according to the same source.

The call for a conference follows an earlier initiative by opposition MPs, including those from the Lebanese Forces, which called for the Lebanese state to reclaim control, distance Lebanon from regional conflicts, and commit to a ceasefire and the full implementation of international resolutions. However, that initiative did not yield significant results.

While there are no guarantees that the Maarab conference will lead to immediate solutions, the source in the LF said that the party is determined to push forward, pointing that a follow-up committee will be formed to engage with political forces in Lebanon and key international stakeholders, including the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

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Arab World

Talks in Baghdad Aim to Halt Attacks on US Embassy

The US Embassy compound in Iraq inside the Green Zone in Baghdad (AFP) 
The US Embassy compound in Iraq inside the Green Zone in Baghdad (AFP) 
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Talks in Baghdad Aim to Halt Attacks on US Embassy

The US Embassy compound in Iraq inside the Green Zone in Baghdad (AFP) 
The US Embassy compound in Iraq inside the Green Zone in Baghdad (AFP) 

A series of meetings held over the past two days inside Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone have produced a preliminary framework aimed at halting attacks on the US Embassy, according to an informed Iraqi source.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the source said the discussions brought together representatives of armed factions and a senior Iraqi political figure, resulting in a proposed agreement that has been conveyed to the United States. The proposal includes conditions set by Kataib Hezbollah.

The meetings were intended to “test the positions of both sides” as a step toward broader implementation if the arrangement proves successful in Baghdad, the source added. However, the outcome will depend on the nature of the US response.

Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, a newly appointed security official for Kataib Hezbollah, announced a five-day suspension of attacks on the US Embassy, conditional on several demands. These include an end to Israeli strikes and displacement in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Additional conditions call for a US commitment not to target residential areas in Baghdad and other provinces, as well as the withdrawal of CIA personnel from the vicinity of the embassy.

The group warned that failure to meet these conditions would prompt a “direct and concentrated” response, with an escalation in attacks after the deadline. It also urged Iraqi authorities to protect diplomatic missions and economic entities of countries not involved in the conflict, excluding what it described as Israeli entities and US occupation forces.

The United States announced it is carrying out strikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated during a Pentagon briefing that US AH-64 Apache helicopters are being used in these operations.

Western sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington is not engaged with such proposals and is likely to continue its current approach of responding to attacks targeting diplomatic facilities and US interests in Iraq.

Recent strikes, believed to have been conducted by the United States, targeted locations used by militia leaders for meetings. Kataib Hezbollah acknowledged in statements that several of its security leaders were killed in those attacks.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday urged Iraqi authorities to prevent attacks on diplomatic missions amid rising regional tensions.

Speaking on the sidelines of a European summit in Brussels, Macron said France has been present in Iraq since 2015 to combat ISIS and support the country’s sovereignty. He confirmed recent contacts with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, reaffirming France’s support for Iraq’s territorial integrity.

Macron called on Iraq to act decisively against groups targeting French nationals and facilities, warning that such actions undermine the country’s security and stability.

Baghdad Security Measures

Iraq’s Interior Ministry denied reports circulating on social media claiming that US forces had raided a unit of the Rapid Response Division at Baghdad International Airport.

Spokesperson Colonel Abbas al-Bahadli described the reports as “entirely false” and urged reliance on official sources, warning against the spread of misinformation.

Baghdad Operations Command confirmed that extensive security measures have been implemented across the capital. Lieutenant General Walid al-Tamimi said efforts include securing areas that could be used to launch indirect fire, assuring diplomatic missions that “the situation in Baghdad is stable and secure.”

 

 

Arab World

Israel Says it Struck Syrian Military Post after Attacks on Druze

Demonstrators carry a Syrian flag during a rally commemorating the15th anniversary of the Syrian uprising against the Bashar Assad regime in Daraa, southern Syria, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Demonstrators carry a Syrian flag during a rally commemorating the15th anniversary of the Syrian uprising against the Bashar Assad regime in Daraa, southern Syria, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
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Israel Says it Struck Syrian Military Post after Attacks on Druze

Demonstrators carry a Syrian flag during a rally commemorating the15th anniversary of the Syrian uprising against the Bashar Assad regime in Daraa, southern Syria, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
Demonstrators carry a Syrian flag during a rally commemorating the15th anniversary of the Syrian uprising against the Bashar Assad regime in Daraa, southern Syria, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

Israel’s military said Friday it struck sites in Syria in response to attacks against the Druze.

The army said it struck infrastructure belonging to Syria in response to attacks on the Druze population in Sweida in southern Syria.

The Israeli military said it targeted a ⁠command center and weapons in military compounds, and said it will not tolerate harm toward the Druze population, adding ⁠it ⁠will continue to operate to defend them and monitor developments in the region.

Arab World

Arms Smuggling Attempt Foiled on Syria-Lebanon Border

Border guards in outskirts of Flita, west of Damascus, foil arms smuggling attempt on Syria-Lebanon border (SANA)
Border guards in outskirts of Flita, west of Damascus, foil arms smuggling attempt on Syria-Lebanon border (SANA)
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Arms Smuggling Attempt Foiled on Syria-Lebanon Border

Border guards in outskirts of Flita, west of Damascus, foil arms smuggling attempt on Syria-Lebanon border (SANA)
Border guards in outskirts of Flita, west of Damascus, foil arms smuggling attempt on Syria-Lebanon border (SANA)

Syria’s defense ministry said border guard forces in the outskirts of Flita area west of Damascus had foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons across the Syrian-Lebanese border after what it described as a tightly executed ambush.

The ministry’s media and communications office said the operation led to the arrest of four people, including two Lebanese nationals, and the seizure of a quantity of weapons and ammunition.

It said the suspects had been referred to the relevant authorities for legal action.

The operation came amid growing tension and anxiety along the Syrian-Lebanese frontier after the Syrian army reinforced its deployment on the border with Lebanon, reviving memories of the Syrian military’s intervention in Lebanon in the 1970s.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said in a post on X that, on the sidelines of an emergency consultative meeting held in Riyadh, he had a brief conversation with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shibani, who told him the deployment of Syrian forces on the border with Lebanon was aimed solely at protecting Syrian territory and securing the frontier against any security breach or smuggling activity.

Shibani stressed that Syria did not intend to enter Lebanon or interfere in its internal affairs in any way.

Syria’s border guard forces continue to work to secure the frontier and combat armed groups, drug and weapons smuggling, and other illegal activities that exploit security conditions in some border areas. They are also working to regulate movement along the border and monitor any activity that poses a security threat.

Earlier this month, the Rif Dimashq Media Directorate announced the seizure of a shipment of weapons prepared for smuggling across the Syrian-Lebanese border.

It said the shipment was found in the Nabek area of the Qalamoun region in the Damascus countryside and that the operation was part of efforts to combat organized crime and crack down on smuggling.

The Internal Security Directorate in the Zabadani area of Rif Dimashq also said it had foiled an attempt on Dec. 17 to smuggle a shipment of weapons into Lebanon.