De-escalation in Beirut: Behind Trump’s announcement, is Iran taking the lead again in Lebanon?

Who stopped the Israeli strike against the southern suburbs on Monday? It was U.S. President Donald Trump who claimed credit for the de-escalation, announcing that Israel would back off from the attack it had announced earlier in the day. It was also Lebanese President Joseph Aoun who reiterated the statement from the Lebanese Embassy in Washington and announced the new equation: no strikes on the southern suburbs in exchange for no drones launched at northern Israel. Not to mention Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who has been active on the diplomatic front for several days. Behind the scenes, talk has also centered on the role of several Arab countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Read more Rubio says Israel-Lebanon peace possible 'tomorrow' if it weren't for Hezbollah Still, especially within Hezbollah circles, the...