Michel Issa's first stop as US Ambassador: Tenure begins with private visit to hometown

Report by Toni Mrad, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Michel Issa returned to Lebanon in 2025 not as an expatriate coming home, but as the newly appointed United States ambassador to Beirut. 

Ahead of his official meetings with Lebanese officials set for Monday, Issa chose to begin his diplomatic mission with a quiet, personal visit to his hometown of Bsous, which he left in 1978.

Away from media cameras and accompanied only by residents of the village, Issa visited the graves of his parents before heading to the old church he had frequented as a child, joined by his two sisters. He later attended Mass at Our Lady of Bsous Church, where he delivered brief remarks to the congregation.

The ambassador also met with residents of the town in a gathering attended by members of his extended family.

Issa is set to formally begin his diplomatic work on Monday, facing a complex agenda that includes efforts to halt the ongoing war affecting Lebanon, address the question of non-state weapons, and support financial and economic reforms. 

How he navigates these challenges will define the early chapter of his tenure in Beirut.