Face of Nation : US warship docked in the port of Lebanon’s capital of Beirut on Saturday, for the first time in the last 30 years. According to the US embassy in Lebanon, the arrival of USS Ramage, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, comes as a goodwill gesture and a sign of US commitment to regional security and freedom of navigation.
US ambassador in Lebanon as saying the the visit is a political message signifying the depth of the relations between the US and Lebanon. A reception on board the ship hosted by Fifth Fleet commander Vice Admiral James Malloy saw representatives of all Lebanon’s factions, except for Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The visit comes at a time of increased regional tensions stirred by what many see as an increasingly assertive Iran operating via its many proxies.
On Saturday, Iranian-linked Yemeni rebels claimed responsibility for a drone strike on key Saudi oil facilities. The US was quick to point at Tehran as the actual perpetrator, with Iran dismissing the allegations as nothing but a pretext for future US actions against Tehran.
Earlier, Hezbollah claimed to have downed an IDF drone that crossed Israel’s border with Lebanon. The incident came after border clashes with the IDF and was followed with the US imposing sanctions on several Hezbollah officials.
