Israel has sent an indirect message to Lebanon warning that it would strike the country hard — including civilian infrastructure such as the airport — if Hezbollah becomes involved in a potential war between the United States and Iran, two senior Lebanese officials said on Tuesday.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Lebanese presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Nuclear talks amid rising tensions
The warning comes as Iran and the United States prepare for a third round of talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme on Thursday in Geneva. The announcement was made on Sunday by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, against a backdrop of growing concern over the risk of military confrontation between the long-time adversaries.
Hezbollah weakened after 2024 war
Israel inflicted heavy blows on the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah during a war in 2024, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah along with thousands of its fighters and destroying a large portion of its arsenal.
The Shia movement was founded in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and has since become a key regional ally of Tehran.
Hezbollah leader says group not ‘neutral’
Hezbollah’s new leader Naim Qassem said in a televised address last month that the organisation is not “neutral” in the standoff between Washington and Tehran and that it is itself “targeted by potential aggression”.
“We are determined to defend ourselves. We will choose at the appropriate time how to act, whether we will intervene or not,” Mr Qassem said.
US withdraws non-essential embassy staff
Meanwhile, the United States Department of State is withdrawing non-essential government personnel and family members from the US embassy in Beirut, a senior State Department official said yesterday, underscoring mounting security concerns in the region.