Adm. Brad Cooper, chief of the U.S. Central Command, discussed launching the recent Israel-Lebanon understandings with officials from the two countries in a push to disarm Hezbollah during a U.S. military delegation visit, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said.
According to CENTCOM, Cooper met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and the chief of Lebanon’s military, Rodolphe Haykal, CEMTCOM said, adding that they “discussed the path forward in implementing [the] historic framework agreement.”
CENTCOM did not specify the Israeli officials with whom Cooper met, but said the admiral visited U.S. troops deployed in Israel. According to the command, “more than 50,000 American service members” are currently deployed in the Middle East.
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut later said the U.S. military officials discussed the official launch of the Israeli-Lebanese understandings, “looking to build on the momentum generated by this agreement quickly and tangibly.” According to the embassy, the deal “builds a realistic path out of the current conflict and establishes a clear and structured process” to disarm Hezbollah.