The success of Prime Minister Najib Mikati in forming a government, where his predecessor-designate Saad Hariri had failed after trying for months to craft a political deal with Hezbollah, marks a clear tilt toward Damascus.

On July 1, 2021, Pope Francis met with an ecumenical group of Christian leaders from Lebanon to discuss and pray for the rapidly declining state of the Mediterranean country.

Religious diplomacy is important, but religious leaders should focus on representing the truths of their religion and the concerns of their constituencies rather than working toward meta-religious consensus. They will be most successful when their diplomacy is understated and narrowly-construed.

Last week, Saudi Arabia accused Lebanon of declaring war against it because of aggression by the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. Here’s what you should know about the terrorist group that acts as a “state within a state” in Lebanon.