Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcoming Lebanese President Joseph Aoun before their meeting at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, on Aug. 31, 2026. (Credit: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP)
The region is becoming increasingly divided. Some pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fall into place, but the overall picture remains complex, made even more so by a number of striking coincidences, or rather paradoxes.On Monday, the very day Lebanese President Joseph Aoun traveled to Greece, Israel announced a $3.6 billion mutual defense agreement with Athens. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the deal as a product of the Eastern Mediterranean alliance that Israel has been working to build since 2016, and as part of efforts to shape a “new Middle East.” More from Mounir Syria-Israel negotiations: A setback for coordination with Beirut Another notable development came the same day, when an official Lebanese delegation traveled to the United Arab Emirates to discuss strengthening cooperation between state...
The region is becoming increasingly divided. Some pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fall into place, but the overall picture remains complex, made even more so by a number of striking coincidences, or rather paradoxes.On Monday, the very day Lebanese President Joseph Aoun traveled to Greece, Israel announced a $3.6 billion mutual defense agreement with Athens. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the deal as a product of the Eastern Mediterranean alliance that Israel has been working to build since 2016, and as part of efforts to shape a “new Middle East.” More from Mounir Syria-Israel negotiations: A setback for coordination with Beirut Another notable development came the same day, when an official Lebanese delegation traveled to the United Arab Emirates to discuss strengthening cooperation between state...
