Lebanon's Leaders Lack Urgency to Resolve Crises, Says Barbara Leaf

US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf stated that Lebanon's leaders lack a "sense of urgent necessity" to pull their country out of its severe economic and political crisis. In an online briefing on Thursday, she emphasized that Lebanon has no alternative for economic recovery other than "making progress towards an agreement with the International Monetary Fund." Leaf also noted that the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran could have a calming and beneficial impact on Lebanon and the entire region. During her visit to Lebanon on March 24, Assistant Secretary Leaf warned that worse is ahead for Lebanon if it does not respond to the reforms demanded by the international community and the IMF, which had previously cautioned, through its mission chief Ernesto Rigo, that Lebanon is in an extremely dangerous situation, during a press conference held in Beirut on March 23.