It seems that the Lebanese officials will not only confront the French, but also the Americans. Diplomatic sources revealed that in the last meeting that brought together the foreign ministers of France and the United States, they have agreed on a road map for the Lebanese crisis.

The road map prioritized forming a government and holding parliamentary elections. The new US administration will implement this agreement by using the stick against Lebanese officials.

These new developments were revealed by the Assistant Secretary of Stater during his interview on Alhurra TV, which coincided with the visit of a delegation from the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes (TFFC), to discuss issues related to corruption, illegal financing and combating terrorism. Discussions have not been conducted with the ruling political authority, but rather with groups of civil society and professionals in the financial sector.

Assistant Secretary of State Joey Hood spoke for the first time about the pressure that US, France, and the Gulf states, will impose on Lebanese leaders to inform them that they are not welcomed in these countries, and that they will not cooperate with them, neither governmentally nor economically. Hood revealed that movements will take place in the coming days, and that these movements will change from week to another, according to the responds coming from Beirut.

This situation is added to US President’s decision to extend the state of emergency in Lebanon, which was to expire next month. The decision may be normal, especially that former US presidents including Obama, used to extend the state of emergency for Lebanon every year. However, the importance of the extension this time is that it comes at a time Lebanon is facing a severe political crisis, and negotiations in Vienna totally stalled.

It is worth noting that the state of emergency grants the US president the right to announce an executive order in Lebanon, where he can take various decisions such as sanctions, for instance, against those who he considers are undermining Lebanese sovereignty or disrupting the democratic process in the country and violating human rights.