Future UN mission needed to help prevent escalation, Guterres says

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council that the United Nations must maintain a presence in Lebanon when the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) expires at the end of the year. “Under all proposed options, a uniformed United Nations presence working to facilitate de-escalation, dialogue, liaison and coordination, and support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, would be necessary,” he said.