Hezbollah has a new leader, French Foreign Minister visits Lebanon, US increases military presence

The situation in the Middle East is becoming more tense with the risk of conflict spreading from Israel's "Northern Arrows" offensive campaign aimed at destroying the military infrastructure of the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.

Mr. Hashem Safieddine (speaking) was appointed as the new Secretary General of the Hezbollah movement. (Source: Reuters)

Israel's campaign began on September 23, with heavy attacks across eastern, southern and southern Lebanon's capital Beirut, killing hundreds of people and forcing many to flee their homes.

Israeli attacks may have forced 1 million people, or one-sixth of the country's population, to leave some areas of Lebanon in the worst displacement crisis in the small country's history, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on September 29.

On September 27, Israel announced the killing of Hezbollah's powerful leader Hassan Nasrallah, a move that many fear could destabilize Lebanon and the entire region.

Recently, Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya television channel quoted sources as saying that the Shura Council - Hezbollah's central decision-making body - appointed Mr. Hashem Safieddine as the movement's new Secretary General.

Mr Safieddine was the former head of Hezbollah's Executive Committee and is a cousin of former leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Information about Mr. Safieddine's appointment has not yet been officially announced.

As the situation in Lebanon is hotter than ever, AFP news agency reported that the French Foreign Ministry announced that the country's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in the capital Beirut on the evening of September 29.

Mr Barrot is the first senior foreign diplomat to visit Lebanon since the Middle Eastern country suffered heavy Israeli air strikes over the past week.

The visit comes after the French Foreign Ministry announced the death of a second French citizen in Lebanon, although further details remained unclear.

Meanwhile, on the same day, September 29, the US Department of Defense said that Secretary Lloyd Austin had authorized the US military to increase its presence in the Middle East with "defensive" support capabilities of the air force and put other forces on a higher state of readiness to "enhance the ability to respond to many unexpected situations".

"Secretary Austin has made clear that if Iran, its partners, or their proxies take advantage of this moment to target US personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take all necessary measures to protect our people," said Pentagon spokesman Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder.

However, the statement did not elaborate on what type of new aircraft would be deployed to the region.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/chao-lua-trung-dong-hezbollah-co-thu-linh-moi-ngoai-truong-phap-den-lebanon-my-tang-hien-dien-quan-su-288208.html