Global Outlook

  On June 5, 2024, the Lebanese army reported that a gunman had attempted to attack the U.S. embassy near Beirut earlier that day. According to the military's statement, Lebanese soldiers shot and wounded the assailant, who was identified as a Syrian national. Local media outlets described a gunfight that lasted for nearly 30 minutes near the U.S. diplomatic mission in the Aukar suburb north of Beirut. The U.S. Embassy confirmed the morning attack by the embassy's entrance but stated that no embassy staff were injured. Lebanese troops and embassy security responded quickly to the incident. This is not the first time the U.S. Embassy in Beirut has been the target of an attack. In 1983, a deadly bombing killed 63 people at the embassy's previous location in central Beirut. U.S. officials attributed that attack to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Following that incident, the embassy was relocated to the Aukar suburb. Another bomb attack struck the new embassy location in...