Lebanon PM in Jordan as Beirut pushes Hezbollah disarmament, Iran’s influence wanes

BEIRUT — Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held a series of meetings with Jordanian officials, including King Abdullah II, during a high-level visit to Jordan on Tuesday, as part of efforts to reintegrate Beirut into the Arab fold after years of regional isolation. 

What happened: Salam, joined by Defense Minister Michel Menassa and Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, arrived at Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport, where he was received by Jordan’s Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs Abdul Latif al-Najdawi.

The Lebanese premier then held talks with his Jordanian counterpart, Jaafar Hassan, focusing on developments in Lebanon after the government’s recent approval of the main objectives of a US plan to disarm the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.

Hassan condemned Israel’s ongoing occupation of Lebanese territory and stressed the need to fully implement the US-brokered ceasefire that ended the 13-month Israel–Hezbollah war last November and halted Israeli attacks on Lebanon, Jordan’s state news agency, Petra, reported.