Last Thursday, the US Senate voted to confirm Lisa Johnson as the new US ambassador to Lebanon, paving the way for her to assume her diplomatic post at the beginning of January.

Meanwhile, current US Ambassador Dorothy Shea is set to depart Lebanon at the end of the year, having fulfilled her diplomatic responsibilities in Beirut. 

In light of the ongoing presidential vacuum in Lebanon, Johnson will initially serve as the Chargé d'Affairs at the US Embassy in Beirut. This role will continue until the election of a new President of the Republic, to whom she will formally present her credentials.