U.S. envoy: Maritime border talks with Israel will help crisis-hit Lebanon

In Beirut, American diplomat David Hale says resolving border dispute would 'have potential to unlock significant economic benefits'; stalled negotiations holding up offshore exploration

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The United States stands ready to facilitate maritime border talks between Lebanon and Israel that will have benefits for the crisis-hit Lebanese economy, a U.S. envoy said on Thursday.
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While pledging not to abandon U.S. interests in Lebanon, On a visit to Beirut, Under Secretary of State David Hale said on a visit to Beirut that resolving the maritime border dispute with Israel would "have potential to unlock significant economic benefits for Lebanon."
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An Israeli naval vessel near the disputed maritime border with Lebanon 
(Photo: Archive)
The two neighboring enemies launched negotiations last year, a culmination of years of U.S. diplomacy, which have since stalled. 
The dispute has held up offshore exploration in the eastern Mediterranean. While Israel pumps gas from offshore fields, Lebanon has yet to find commercial reserves. 
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UN peacekeepers patrol the coast road near Naqura, the last town in Lebanon before the border with Israel 
(Photo: AFP)
Hale also blamed Lebanese leaders for failing to end a deadlock in cabinet talks to tackle the collapse, which has crashed the currency.
He warned that "those who continue to obstruct" progress open themselves up to punitive actions, without naming individuals.
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Lebanese President Michel Aoun, right, meets with U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale 
(Photo: AP)
As part of its pressure campaign on Tehran, Washington escalated sanctions last year against Lebanese allies of Hezbollah, hitting former ministers on charges of corruption and ties to the Iran-backed group, which it classifies as terrorist.
Hale accused Hezbollah and Iran of undermining the state after meeting on Thursday with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a political ally of the group whose son-in-law became a target of U.S. sanctions.
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The Hezbollah flag in southern Lebanon 
(Photo: Reuters)
Hale said that talks with Iran on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal could foster regional stability but "would only be the beginning of our work" as the United States addresses "the other elements of Iran's destabilizing behavior".