Concern is mounting in Lebanon as tensions between the United States and Iran intensify, stoking fears that any direct military clash could spill onto Lebanese soil.
The evacuation of non-essential staff from the US embassy in Beirut has deepened unease, especially as it coincided with official Lebanese statements citing “indications” that Israel could launch powerful strikes in the event of escalation, potentially targeting strategic infrastructure, including the airport.
Warnings
Speaking from Geneva on the sidelines of a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said: “There are signs that the Israelis could strike very hard in the event of an escalation, potentially including strategic infrastructure such as the airport.”
“We are currently conducting diplomatic efforts to request that, even in the event of retaliation, Lebanese civilian infrastructure not be targeted,” he added.
In the same vein, Reuters quoted two senior Lebanese officials as saying Israel had sent an indirect message that it would hit Lebanon hard and target civilian infrastructure, including the airport, if Hezbollah joined any US-Iran war.
Presidency: No warnings received
As Lebanese officials work to prevent Hezbollah from dragging the country into a new “support war”, ministerial sources close to the presidency said “no warnings have reached the Lebanese presidency in this regard.”
The sources said assurances were conveyed through Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that Hezbollah would not intervene in the war.
On the US embassy’s evacuation decision, the sources said Lebanese officials contacted the embassy in Beirut and were told the move was temporary and precautionary, linked to the regional security situation and talk of an imminent Iranian strike and a possible Hezbollah response from Lebanon.
US measures included closing the consular section and canceling all visa appointments, they added.
Lebanese authorities have not been informed of any similar steps by European embassies, the sources revealed.
Possible arena for confrontation
Dr. Sami Nader, director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, said Lebanon could become a potential arena for confrontation based on political and military realities, but described the US embassy’s steps as standard precautionary measures taken in similar circumstances.
“Hezbollah, through its Secretary-General Naim Qassem, said it will not remain neutral. Hezbollah has not been fully disarmed, and the plan to confine weapons to the state has not been completed,” Nader told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“Fears have therefore grown that Lebanon could become a parallel arena to what may happen in Iran, especially with the rising likelihood of a military strike on Tehran.”
While the scale of any military fallout in Lebanon from a regional war cannot be predicted, Nader said Israeli escalation in the Bekaa and the south last week aimed to preempt Hezbollah from launching a strike on Israel.
“The elements of a parallel arena in Lebanon are almost complete. That is why the Americans judged the risk level to be high in Lebanon and took this decision, unlike in other countries not exposed to becoming an arena of confrontation,” he explained.
Washington orders departures
The US State Department said in an updated travel advisory that on Feb. 23 it ordered non-essential embassy staff and their family members to leave Lebanon due to the security situation in Beirut.
Washington renewed its Level 4 advisory against travel to Lebanon, citing risks of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, unexploded landmines and the potential for armed conflict, particularly near the border.
It said US embassy personnel in Beirut face strict restrictions on personal travel, with further limits possible without prior notice amid growing security threats.
Kataeb warns against new war
Amid the tensions, the Kataeb party warned against dragging Lebanon into another war.
The party voiced concern over “statements by Hezbollah officials about their readiness to support Tehran if it comes under military strike,” alongside reports of field movements by officers from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and elements linked to Palestinian groups in areas under Hezbollah’s control, as well as the widening of Israeli airstrikes inside Lebanon.
It renewed its call for the legitimate armed forces to act swiftly and decisively to dismantle Hezbollah’s security and military apparatus across all Lebanese territory without exception.
It warned that failure to extend state authority across Lebanon undermines the integrity of the parliamentary elections, the freedom of candidacy and voting, and the protection of the democratic process from pressure or intimidation.
It added that any tangible change in political life and governance remains conditional on the state’s monopoly over arms and control of decisions of war and peace.
The elections are set for May.
