Precautionary Measures at US Embassy, Protection Force Expected to Land in Beirut

Demonstrators burn a photograph of US President Donald Trump during a protest by few dozen people near the US embassy in Awkar, northeast of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Demonstrators burn a photograph of US President Donald Trump during a protest by few dozen people near the US embassy in Awkar, northeast of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
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Precautionary Measures at US Embassy, Protection Force Expected to Land in Beirut

Demonstrators burn a photograph of US President Donald Trump during a protest by few dozen people near the US embassy in Awkar, northeast of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Demonstrators burn a photograph of US President Donald Trump during a protest by few dozen people near the US embassy in Awkar, northeast of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

The US embassy in Beirut has taken preventive security measures, pending the arrival of a US military force from Italy to bolster protection and counter Iranian threats.

A US military official announced that this force was preparing to head to Lebanon, following the killing of the commander of the Iranian Quds Force Qassem Soleimani, by a US airstrike near Baghdad International Airport at dawn on Friday.

Sources with knowledge of the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat that the forces could arrive by air or sea.

“In the first case, they can land in the Army’s Hamat base in the north of the country, where US soldiers are training the Lebanese Army on the use of American weapons; as for the second case, the forces could arrive by sea through the nearest point to the embassy’s headquarters in Awkar,” the sources said.

The military official said that the force stationed in Italy was put on alert as a step within a series of military measures to protect American interests in the Middle East region. He explained that the US Department of Defense might send between 130 and 700 soldiers to Beirut.

A Lebanese security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that other security measures were imposed on the embassy’s staff, “including the ambassador, diplomats, administrative and security personnel, in addition to Americans working or residing in Lebanon or the Lebanese who hold US citizenship.”

In parallel, the ambassador of a major country advised officials in Lebanon to overcome the obstacles that prevent the formation of a new government “because the coming days are full of dangerous developments,” official sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The sources noted that “urgent contacts between people in Beirut and officials in Tehran have not ceased… to find the best retaliatory response,” adding that the US target could be “at sea on a warship or the assassination of a US figure or an ambassador, or striking an embassy.”



Trump’s Return: Jubilation in Tel Aviv, Worries in Ramallah

A Palestinian in Bureij Camp asks Trump to end war on Gaza (AFP)
A Palestinian in Bureij Camp asks Trump to end war on Gaza (AFP)
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Trump’s Return: Jubilation in Tel Aviv, Worries in Ramallah

A Palestinian in Bureij Camp asks Trump to end war on Gaza (AFP)
A Palestinian in Bureij Camp asks Trump to end war on Gaza (AFP)

The excitement among Israel’s ruling coalition leaders over Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election matches the joy of his supporters in the US.
In contrast, the rest of the world, especially the Palestinians, remains cautious and worried, waiting to see how he will act.
Their only response is hope—hope that he might end wars and shift his known “hostile” policies.
Trump sent a clear message when he declared after his win, “I will not start wars, I will end them.” Both Palestinians and Israelis took note of this, each interpreting it through their own lens.
However, both sides must wait two months for Trump to take office and even longer to see how he will approach foreign policy.
In Israel, the ruling coalition is celebrating with the expectation that Trump will offer strong military, security, and political support—not just in their conflicts with Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza, but also in their broader goals, including ending the Palestinian dream of statehood, expelling them, and annexing the West Bank, Golan Heights, and possibly parts of Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was almost the first leader to congratulate Trump, followed by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
While Israelis eagerly await Trump’s arrival, Palestinian leaders in Ramallah are worried he won’t change his previous policies.
A research paper from a London-based monitoring center for political and strategic studies highlighted that Trump’s previous decisions harmed Palestinians, including moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing it as Israel’s capital, and cutting funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
These actions helped isolate the Palestinian Authority and weaken its political demands.
The paper expressed concerns that Trump might continue or intensify these policies, such as reducing international support for Palestinians or backing more settlement expansion.
For Palestinians, this could worsen political, economic, and humanitarian challenges.
Trump is also known for his strong stance against resistance factions.
After the death of Hamas leader Yehya Sinwar, Trump called it a crucial step toward regional stability.
For now, Palestinians are left waiting.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Trump, saying he looks forward to working with him for peace and security in the region.