US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf said that the Saudi-Iran agreement showed to have an “appeasing effect” on the situation in Lebanon and the region in general. In telephone remarks made to Asharq al-Awsat on Thursday, Leaf said that Lebanon’s officials lack a sense of “seriousness” to address the deteriorating situation in their country and to steer it out of the economic and political crises. She stressed that extending a helping hand to the Lebanese people during times of crises has always been a priority for the United States. On the election of a new head of state, Leaf emphasized the need to elect a new president and to form a government capable of implementing the required reforms. “We urge Lebanese leaders to garner a sense of urgency and seriousness which they lack, and to take the necessary decisive decisions to steer the nation out of its unprecedented crisis,” said Leaf. The US officials had earlier pointed to new sanctions on Lebanese parties hampering the election of a new president. Leaf, who took part in the five-way meeting in Paris on Lebanon, did not identify any candidates for the position of president, but she voiced alarm about the “worrying situation” in the crisis-hit nation, amid evident signs of a “big collapse” looming on the horizon.