Trump, Macron Agree on Need to Confront ‘Hezbollah,’ Iran

US President Donald Trump with Emmanuel Macron at a summit in Sicily in May. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump with Emmanuel Macron at a summit in Sicily in May. (Reuters)
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Trump, Macron Agree on Need to Confront ‘Hezbollah,’ Iran

US President Donald Trump with Emmanuel Macron at a summit in Sicily in May. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump with Emmanuel Macron at a summit in Sicily in May. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on the need to confront Iran and Lebanon's “Hezbollah’s” destabilizing activities in the region, announced the White House.

It said in a statement that the two leaders held a telephone conversation on the situation in Lebanon and Syria.

They stressed the need to work with allies to confront “Hezbollah” and Iran, it added.

On Saturday, the French presidency said it is essential to protect Lebanon from "negative" foreign influences because the country needs a "strong state."

A high official in Macron's office said that France aims to see Lebanon "regain its stability."

The official did not name any specific foreign countries interfering in Lebanon's internal affairs, but said Lebanon should be protected from the "dangers that regional crises can pose to it."

The official said France supports Lebanon's policy of "disassociating" itself from regional crises.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with French presidential policy, was speaking after Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri met Macron at the French presidential palace.



France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
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France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)

Paris declined to comment on Algeria’s “strong condemnation” of the French government’s decision to recognize Morocco’s claim over the Sahara.

The office of the French Foreign Ministry refused to respond to an AFP request for a comment on the Algeria’s stance.

It did say that further comments could impact the trip Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is set to make to France in late September or early October.

The visit has been postponed on numerous occasions over disagreements between the two countries.

France had explicitly expressed its constant and clear support for the autonomy rule proposal over the Sahara during Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne’s visit to Morocco in February, reported AFP.

The position has helped improve ties between Rabat and Paris.

On Thursday, the Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed “great regret and strong denunciation" about the French government's decision to recognize an autonomy plan for the Western Sahara region "within Moroccan sovereignty”.

Algeria was informed of the decision by France in recent days, an Algerian foreign ministry statement added.

The ministry also said Algeria would draw all the consequences from the decision and hold the French government alone completely responsible.