BEIRUT

The US Embassy in Beirut said Tuesday that the expanded deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in southern Lebanon is a “critical” step toward strengthening stability in the country.

“The Lebanese Army’s expanded presence in the south and ongoing efforts to restore state sovereignty across the country represent critical steps forward for Lebanon’s stability,” the embassy said in a statement on the US social media company X’s platform.

According to the statement, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michelle Issa met with Lebanon's Defense Minister Michel Menassa, during which they discussed “the LAF’s pivotal role as Lebanon’s sole security guarantor.”

Separately, the embassy said Issa also met with Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny to discuss “plans for rehabilitating and modernizing transportation infrastructure throughout Lebanon.”

The meeting also addressed “the prospect of transparent, government-led reconstruction efforts in the South,” the statement added.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Oct. 16 that Lebanon planned to increase the number of soldiers deployed in the south to 10,000 by the end of the year under a ceasefire agreement with Israel but said Israeli attacks have prevented the process from being completed.

A ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since November 2024, after more than a year of attacks that killed more than 4,000 people and injured 17,000 others against the backdrop of the Israeli war in Gaza.

The Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January this year under the ceasefire but instead only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.