October 2, 2026
Beirut returned to receive Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, concluding an official tour that included New York and Washington, which focused on discussing the core Lebanese files, the forefront of which was strengthening sovereignty, restricting weapons to the state, and advancing financial reforms.
Immediately upon his arrival in the capital, Salam made two phone calls to both the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nabih Berri, during which he informed them of the results of the contacts and meetings he held during the foreign tour.
The visit to Washington witnessed a series of high-level meetings, which the Prime Minister began by meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two sides discussed ways to activate the tripartite framework, adopting the principles of reciprocity and interimity, in addition to demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal, and establishing the control of weapons in the hands of the state by setting a verification mechanism and a timetable for implementation.
Regarding financial and economic matters, Salam met with US Treasury Secretary Scott Besent, where he reviewed the course of banking reforms and aspects of cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. On the other hand, the American side stressed the importance of dismantling and disrupting the financial networks linked to Iran and Hezbollah.
The Prime Minister also held an expanded meeting in the US Congress, which included Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jim Risch, along with Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Senators Chris Coons and Tim Kaine. The discussion during the meeting focused on the Lebanese government’s efforts to restore sovereignty and extend state authority over all Lebanese territory, as well as the path of reform and economic recovery.
This tour concludes with Salam’s return to Beirut carrying Lebanon’s political and economic files from the American capital, thus shifting the burden of following up on the results of these talks to the internal arena.
