French, US Top Diplomats Urge Middle East De-escalation

French and US top diplomats on Thursday called on all parties in the Middle East to calm down, voicing deep concerns amid fears of escalation following explosions across Lebanon. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that there is a real problem regarding northern Israel and southern Lebanon, while French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne warned Lebanon would not recover from a comprehensive war. Blinken will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee, and will later meet with Sejourne and their Italian and British counterparts Antonio Tajani and David Lammy, in addition to representative of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Source: Qatar News Agency