Lebanese Leaders Urge Neutrality Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have called for calm and urged Lebanon to stay out of the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, warning that any involvement would worsen the country’s already fragile state.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting on Monday, both leaders emphasized the need to maintain internal stability. President Aoun appealed to all factions within Lebanon to avoid escalation, while Prime Minister Salam stressed that Lebanon must not take part in the conflict “in any form,” according to Information Minister Paul Morkos.
Their message appeared directed at Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, which has close ties with both Iran and Hamas in Gaza. Hezbollah had joined the conflict following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, launching its own operations against Israeli forces. The clashes lasted 14 months and resulted in over 4,000 deaths in Lebanon and more than $11 billion in damage. In Israel, 127 people—including 80 soldiers—were killed.
The war also led to Hezbollah being pushed back from the southern border areas, and its leadership suffered heavy losses in Israeli airstrikes. Earlier this year, Hamas militants fired rockets from Lebanese territory, prompting Israeli air raids and arrests by Lebanese authorities.
The renewed call for neutrality comes amid fears that Israel’s recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and military figures, followed by Iranian missile retaliation, could ignite a wider regional war. With Lebanon still reeling from economic collapse and recovering from the Hezbollah-Israel conflict, its leaders are seeking to prevent further instability.
