US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Beirut on Friday on the final leg of a regional tour that saw him visit Kuwait and Jerusalem. He kicked off his two-day visit to the Lebanon by holding talks with Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan. The State Departments deputy spokesman, Robert Palladino, said the two discussed the regional and internal security challenges facing Lebanon and how the US can help support the ministrys efforts to maintain stability inside Lebanon. Pompeo also met with parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, before heading for a working lunch with Prime Minister Saad Hariri. He was received at the airport by US Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richards and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale. Pompeo is scheduled to later hold talks with President Michel Aoun and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil. The State Department said he will meet with Lebanese leaders to discuss the political, security, economic, and humanitarian challenges facing Lebanon. Pompeo’s visit will underscore US support for the Lebanese people and Lebanon’s legitimate state institutions. He will also address the presence of Hezbollah officials in parliament and government. Pompeos plane arrived on Friday traveling through the Cypriot airspace, as Lebanon, which is technically in a state of war with Israel, bans direct flights from Israel.