BEIRUT, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday underscored the need to maintain the presence of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the country's south, citing growing regional and domestic tensions, his office said in a statement.

"Now more than ever, the circumstances in Lebanon and the region require UNIFIL to stay," Aoun said during a meeting with the mission's new Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Diodato Abagnara.

Aoun stressed that UNIFIL's partnership with the Lebanese Army remains essential to preserving stability along the volatile southern border with Israel.

His comments come amid ongoing debates over the mission's scope, which is subject to annual renewal by the UN Security Council. In 2024, the council passed Resolution 2749, extending UNIFIL's mandate through Aug. 31, 2025.

Earlier in June, Israeli media reported that the United States was weighing a withdrawal of support for the mission to reduce costs. A U.S. State Department spokesperson later dismissed the reports as "inaccurate" in comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, without elaborating.

Abagnara, who previously held leadership roles within UNIFIL, reiterated his commitment to strengthening coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Also on Monday, UNIFIL said its western sector had carried out more than 5,700 support operations for the Lebanese military since cross-border clashes between Hezbollah and Israel began in October 2023.

Established in 1978, UNIFIL's mandate has been revised several times, most notably following the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. ■