Dropping calls for ceasefire is both practical and risky for the US

Letting the unfolding conflict in Lebanon play out reflects conflicting goals for the US over the Middle East

Hezbollah paramedic gear left on the debris after an airstrike hit a multi-storey apartment building in central Beirut, Lebanon, earlier this month. Picture: Hussein Malla/AP

After weeks of intensive diplomacy aimed at securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants, the US has settled on an altogether different approach: Let the unfolding conflict in Lebanon play out.

Just two weeks ago, the US and France were demanding an immediate 21-day ceasefire to ward off an Israeli invasion of Lebanon.