Beirut, Lebanon. Israel has warned Lebanon it would strike the country hard, including civilian infrastructure such as the airport, if Hezbollah becomes involved in any U.S.-Iran war, according to two senior Lebanese officials.
The officials said the message was delivered indirectly, while the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Lebanese presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Warning conveyed as U.S.-Iran talks continue
Iran and the United States are set to hold a third round of nuclear talks on Thursday in Geneva, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on Sunday, amid growing concerns about the risk of military conflict.
Lebanese prime minister urges restraint
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, whose government has sought the disarmament of Iran-backed Hezbollah since taking office a year ago, urged the group not to take Lebanon into “another adventure” in a newspaper interview published on Tuesday.
Hezbollah’s position and recent conflict history
Hezbollah’s new leader Naim Qassem said in a televised address last month that the group was “not neutral” in the standoff between Washington and Tehran, and that it was “targeted by the potential aggression”.
“We are determined to defend ourselves. We will choose in due course how to act, whether to intervene or not,” Qassem said.
Israel dealt heavy blows to Hezbollah during a war in 2024, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah along with thousands of its fighters and destroying much of its arsenal. Shi’ite Muslim Hezbollah was established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982.
Hezbollah’s last war with Israel began after it opened fire in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza conflict in 2023, prompting months of cross-border fighting before Israel mounted its offensive.
How do you think Lebanon’s leadership can prevent the country from being drawn into a wider regional conflict?
