Lebanese Army Commander-in-Chief. General Rodolph Haykal, visited the United Kingdom from 24 to 26 June 2026, following an official invitation from his British counterpart, Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton.

During the visit, General Haykal held talks with his British counterpart, focusing on ways to support the Lebanese Army and strengthen cooperation between both sides. He also expressed his appreciation to his British counterpart for standing by the military institution, and thanked the United Kingdom’s continued support for the Lebanese Army.

He also met with National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, Member of the House of Lords and Minister of State for Defence Lord Vernon Coaker, as well as Member of Parliament and Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Hamish Falconer.

The discussions addressed the challenges faced by the Lebanese Army in fulfilling their missions of maintaining security and stability and securing the borders, as well as ways to achieve a durable ceasefire in Lebanon, the Lebanese Army said in a statement.

The Lebanese Army Chief also visited the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he met its Commandant, Major General Nick Cowley, toured its facilities, and was briefed on its training programmes. He subsequently visited a number of specialized military units that cooperate with the Lebanese Army.

As part of the visit, the Lebanese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Farah Berri, hosted a reception at the embassy in honor of General Haykal, attended by members of the Lebanese community.

On 26 June, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Israel and Lebanon’s Ambassadors to the U.S. to announce a framework agreement that was described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The U.S. State Department said the framework establishes a process for dismantling Hezbollah and for Lebanon to regain territory that was taken by Israeli forces as they battled the militant group.

The U.S. will facilitate a newly created “Military Coordination Group for Lebanon” to implement the framework, the State Department said, while committing $100 million in humanitarian assistance.

“For Lebanon, this Framework provides a genuine pathway out of a long crisis,” the State Department said. “For Israel, it creates a verifiable path to removing the persistent threat on its northern border.” (Sources: Lebanese Army; Agencies; Photo © Lebanese Army)