Lebanese Leaders Rebuke Iran as Israeli Strikes Intensify and Ceasefire Efforts Falter

By Anietie anii-bassey

Lebanon’s political leadership has sharply criticized Iran for opposing a newly proposed ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, signaling growing frustration in Beirut over what officials describe as foreign interference in the country’s affairs as violence continues to devastate southern regions.

President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam both accused Tehran of treating Lebanon as a tool in its broader geopolitical struggle with the United States and Israel. Their comments came amid renewed Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon, escalating tensions despite international efforts to secure a halt to hostilities.

The dispute emerged after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement warning that “there will be no calm in the region” unless Israel fully withdraws its forces from Lebanese territory. Tehran has also insisted that any broader agreement involving Iran and its adversaries must include guarantees regarding Lebanon.

President Aoun rejected the Iranian position, arguing that decisions concerning Lebanon’s future should be made by Lebanese institutions rather than foreign powers.

He emphasized that Lebanese civilians continue to bear the consequences of the conflict through loss of life, destruction of homes and widespread displacement. According to Aoun, outside actors have no right to dictate the country’s path while its people endure the human cost of war.

Prime Minister Salam echoed those concerns, urging citizens and political factions to place national interests above regional alliances. He stressed that Lebanon must no longer serve as a battleground for competing powers and warned that continued involvement in external conflicts risks further destruction and instability.

The criticism reflects growing divisions inside Lebanon over the role of Hezbollah, the powerful Iranian-backed militant and political movement that has been engaged in months of fighting with Israeli forces. Lebanese officials have increasingly argued that the country has paid a heavy price for conflicts linked to regional rivalries and have called for diplomatic solutions to prevent additional devastation.

Meanwhile, military operations continued across southern Lebanon. Israeli forces carried out strikes on multiple locations after issuing evacuation warnings to residents in nine villages. Lebanese authorities reported that at least nine people were killed in six separate areas targeted during the attacks.

The warnings prompted new waves of displacement, forcing hundreds of families to leave their homes. Among the affected communities was Anqoun, a village that has provided shelter for thousands of people who had already fled previous fighting. Residents rushed to evacuate after Israeli military alerts warned of imminent operations in the area.

Despite the danger, some displaced families have begun returning to villages recently vacated by Israeli troops in order to assess the damage to their homes and businesses. In many places, they found widespread destruction.

The village of Dibbine, near Marjayoun, became one of the first areas from which Israeli troops withdrew after occupying parts of southern Lebanon during the current conflict. Residents arriving near the village encountered roads blocked by debris and military barriers while Lebanese troops and United Nations peacekeepers worked to clear access routes.

Scenes from the area revealed extensive damage. Homes had been reduced to rubble, roads were littered with remnants of missiles and shrapnel, and businesses stood destroyed. Families searched through the wreckage for belongings while local property owners surveyed what remained of their livelihoods.

The destruction extended across numerous communities in southern Lebanon. Villages along major roads appeared largely deserted, with many buildings heavily damaged or completely demolished following months of combat between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters.

In contrast, some nearby Christian communities suffered less damage and retained larger populations during the fighting. However, the broader region remains tense as military operations continue and concerns persist over the possibility of further escalation.

The ceasefire proposal currently under discussion was brokered by the United States and announced earlier this week. The agreement aims to establish direct arrangements between Lebanon and Israel while reducing the influence of external actors in negotiations. Supporters view the initiative as an opportunity to pull Lebanon away from becoming entangled in wider regional confrontations.

President Aoun has urged Hezbollah to recognize that diplomacy represents the only viable path toward preserving what remains of the country’s economy, infrastructure and social stability. Lebanese authorities have increasingly argued that political dialogue and state institutions must take precedence over military confrontation.

However, Hezbollah remains opposed to the proposed arrangement and continues to demand a complete Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory before any lasting agreement can be accepted.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah who has served as an intermediary during negotiations, reiterated the group’s position. He called for a comprehensive ceasefire covering land, sea and air operations and insisted that any agreement must guarantee a full Israeli withdrawal and an end to military destruction inside Lebanon.

Israeli forces currently maintain control over significant portions of southern Lebanon, representing their deepest advance into the country in decades. The military says its operations are intended to eliminate threats posed by Hezbollah and prevent future attacks against northern Israel.

The conflict has inflicted a severe human toll. More than 3,500 people have reportedly been killed in Lebanon since fighting erupted, while dozens of Israeli soldiers and civilians have also lost their lives. Thousands of families on both sides of the border remain displaced.

Israeli military officials reported that two soldiers were wounded during clashes with militants in southern Lebanon on Friday, including one who suffered serious injuries. Another officer was severely wounded a day earlier in an incident involving an aerial object or projectile.

The conflict’s regional implications continue to grow as international attention focuses on the wider confrontation involving Iran. Developments on Friday highlighted those tensions when the U.S. military announced that its forces had boarded a sanctioned oil tanker allegedly linked to Iran in the Indian Ocean.

Washington has intensified efforts to restrict Iranian oil exports and increase economic pressure on Tehran. The United States also unveiled additional sanctions targeting individuals, companies and vessels accused of participating in networks that allegedly disguise Iranian petroleum products before exporting them to markets in Asia.

The latest measures underscore how the fighting in Lebanon has become intertwined with broader disputes involving Iran, Israel and the United States. As diplomatic efforts struggle to gain momentum and military operations continue on the ground, Lebanon remains caught at the center of a regional confrontation with consequences reaching far beyond its borders.