November 15, 2026
The file of the transitional phase and the future of the international presence in southern Lebanon entered the American spotlight, coinciding with the approaching end of the mission of the United Nations Interim Forces (UNIFIL), and the start of an official visit by the American ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, to the capital, Beirut, to discuss the upcoming arrangements.
Agence France-Presse reported that Waltz’s visit aims to discuss the period after the end of the international mission’s mandate, amid increasing questions about the nature of future security arrangements in the south, and the parties that will assume the tasks of monitoring the border and supporting stability.
In his first comment following his arrival, Waltz wrote on the “X” platform: “Lebanon has a real opportunity to chart a sovereign and secure future,” adding: “For this reason, I am here on the ground to hear the truth about the transitional phase and the next steps regarding the United Nations force and relief agencies.”
The visit acquires exceptional importance in light of International Resolution 2790 issued in 2025, which set December 31, 2026 as the final date for the end of UNIFIL’s mandate and the beginning of the process of reducing its forces and withdrawing them. This security and political entitlement places the future of the international presence in the south facing prominent challenges, amid Lebanese demands for the necessity of finding alternative arrangements to prevent any security vacuum from occurring after the end of the international force’s mission.
