French President Emmanuel Macron pressed ahead with efforts to shape a new international force for southern Lebanon after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires at the end of this year. Macron spoke by phone on Tuesday with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, discussing developments in Lebanon and the region in light of the US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland. They also tackled the situation in southern Lebanon amid the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the future of international forces operating in the south, and international efforts to support Lebanon. In his call with Aoun, talks focused on “the situation in the south and the next steps after the announcement of the ceasefire.” They reviewed the outcome of last week’s G7 summit in the French city of Evian, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency. Aoun thanked Macron for the position issued by the summit on Lebanon. UNIFIL’s future took up a central part of the discussion. The two leaders examined the period after its mission ends, especially given the willingness of several European countries, with Lebanon’s backing, to keep forces inside the international area of operations. Macron told Aoun he would contact several countries to clarify their positions, particularly as UNIFIL’s withdrawal from Lebanon is set to begin at the start of 2027. The call also covered Lebanese-Syrian relations and coordination between the two countries. Aoun welcomed remarks by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in his latest television interview, in which he stressed Syria’s commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Sharaa said Syria did not intend to intervene militarily in Lebanon, despite comments by US President Donald Trump. France's President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visit the Vivatech fair in Paris, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP) Sharaa stressed that any Syrian role would go exclusively through the Lebanese state and not through other parties, and that Damascus wanted to bolster Lebanon’s stability and strengthen its official institutions. During Macron’s call with Salam, the two leaders “continued discussions on the results of Salam’s recent visit to Paris, as well as an assessment of the negotiations that began in Switzerland and their repercussions for the region and Lebanon.” They discussed efforts to secure the necessary conditions for two planned conferences, one to support the army and security forces and another to support reconstruction in wake of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The calls come as the future of the international forces in southern Lebanon emerges as one of the most prominent issues under global discussion. At the G7 summit, leaders devoted a significant part of their talks to Lebanon, focusing on the need to find an alternative to UNIFIL once its mandate ends. According to diplomatic information, discussions are moving toward the creation of a multinational force in which France and other European countries, including Germany, Spain and Italy, have shown readiness to participate. Its core mission would be to support and train the Lebanese army, equipping it with the capabilities needed to expand its deployment and extend state authority, thereby reinforcing stability and implementing security arrangements in southern Lebanon.
