Lebanon on Wednesday found itself pulled deeper into the emerging confrontation between Israel and Iran over the future of Hezbollah.
Tehran declared that Hezbollah’s presence had become “indispensable for Lebanon,” while Israel warned Beirut that stability would not return without guarantees for Israel’s security. The diplomatic tension unfolded as Egypt intensified mediation efforts to prevent escalation.
Israeli Threats Over Hezbollah
Speaking before the Israeli Knesset, Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed that Israel would not tolerate threats along its northern border.
"We will not allow any threats against the inhabitants of the north, and maximum enforcement will continue and even intensify," Katz said. He warned that there “will be no calm in Beirut, no order and no stability in Lebanon until Israel’s security is guaranteed.
His comments came just days after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed Haitham al-Tabtabai, a senior Hezbollah military commander, along with several of the group’s members.
Katz reiterated that Israel remains determined to dismantle Hezbollah’s weapons capacity. He also suggested reopening the maritime border agreement with Lebanon, calling it “flawed” and saying Israel would reconsider it.
Tehran Reaffirms Backing for Hezbollah
Responding to the Israeli stance, Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, insisted that Hezbollah had become essential to Lebanon’s survival.
“The continuing crimes of the Zionist entity against Lebanon show that Hezbollah has become more vital than daily bread for the Lebanese people,” Velayati said in remarks published by Iran’s Tasnim news agency. He accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and international law, arguing that disarming Hezbollah would be “catastrophic” for Lebanon.
Velayati stressed that Iran “has supported and will continue to support Hezbollah and the resistance front,” asserting that the group has repeatedly protected the Lebanese people from Israeli aggression.
Lebanese Push Back Against Iranian Remarks
Velayati’s comments ignited criticism across Lebanon’s political spectrum. Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces party, fired back: “If you and the Supreme Leader concerned yourselves with the plight of the Iranian people and your prisons, it would be better for all of us. Lebanon is an independent state with its own constitution and elected authorities. You have no right to interfere in our affairs.”
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji also responded forcefully, addressing his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. He said he had hoped to believe Iran did not meddle in Lebanese affairs “until your Supreme Leader’s adviser came out to tell us what is essential for Lebanon and warn us against removing Hezbollah’s weapons.”
Rajji asserted that what matters more than “water and bread” for Lebanese citizens is “our sovereignty, freedom and independent decision-making, away from ideological slogans and cross-border regional agendas that ruined our country.”
Egypt Steps in to Defuse Tension
Amid the political clash, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty arrived in Beirut carrying a message of support for a national initiative announced by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Independence Day.
Abdelatty stressed that Cairo is making “intensive efforts to spare Lebanon any aggression.”
After meeting Aoun, Abdelatty said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had instructed him to mobilize Egypt’s diplomatic relationships to support de-escalation and the implementation of ceasefire agreements.
He endorsed Aoun’s proposal for the Lebanese Army to assume control of all positions in the south and voiced support for the government’s goal of limiting weapons to state authority.
“We deploy our regional ties to encourage a diplomatic solution,” Abdelatty said, warning that “the entire region is on the brink of full escalation, which serves no one.”
He later met Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, praising his “wisdom” and confirming his support for the initiative. Abdelatty said Egypt maintains a “consistent position” that all weapons in Lebanon should fall under the state’s control, while warning Israel to halt its violations and allow the Lebanese Army to operate freely.
In a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s determination to help protect Lebanon and strengthen the Lebanese Army.
Salam welcomed Egypt’s assistance, emphasizing that the army is already implementing the government’s decision to keep weapons exclusively under state authority, while Israel “continues to violate the agreement daily and occupy several points in the south.”
