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Lebanon's military chief heads to US amid rising Israel-Hezbollah tension

The visit coincides with escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah on the border and a foiled attack on the US Embassy in Lebanon.

DANIEL DORKO/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
Lebanese military commander Joseph Aoun arrives at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on April 19th, 2024. — DANIEL DORKO/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

BEIRUT, NEW YORK — Lebanon’s head of the military Joseph Aoun is heading to Washington next week, Al-Monitor has confirmed, amid the ongoing border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and rising domestic tensions.

The visit, which was also announced by the local LBCI news channel, is Aoun’s first since February 2023.

He is expected to meet with officials from the State Department and Pentagon as well as members of Congress, according to informed sources cited by LBCI. The discussions will reportedly touch on the US military and financial assistance provided to the Lebanese army.

On the Israel-Lebanon border tensions, Aoun and US officials will also discuss the role of the Lebanese army in the border area and US funding for increasing the number of Lebanese soldiers deployed there, LBCI reported.

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