From the early morning hours, as Israeli strikes on Iran began, intense diplomatic activity emerged at Lebanon’s presidential palace. Sources close to the presidency said President Joseph Aoun received a call from the United States that carried a clear message: the necessity of keeping Lebanon out of the regional conflict and avoiding any slide toward potential escalation.
According to informed sources, President Aoun conveyed the substance of the message to both the prime minister and the speaker of parliament and also delivered it directly to Hezbollah through existing channels of communication between the group and the presidency. To date, Hezbollah has issued neither a public nor a private response to the message.
These developments were reflected in official positions. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stressed his rejection of dragging the country into adventures that could threaten its security and unity—a clear reference to Hezbollah.
For his part, the president underscored that shielding Lebanon from the repercussions of external conflicts and preserving its sovereignty, security, and stability are top priorities, emphasizing the role of the state and its institutions as guarantors of stability.
These positions align with what Lebanese officials and advisers have conveyed regarding the need to adhere to the state option and to the commitments set out in the ministerial statement.
While no response has come from Hezbollah or other Iran-aligned armed factions, Tehran moved quickly to launch missile salvos toward Israeli cities, triggering air-raid sirens, suspending classes, banning public gatherings, and shutting down workplaces.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also carried out missile attacks targeting U.S. military bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, with reports of explosions heard in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Gulf states preemptively closed their airspace to civilian aviation, activated warning systems, and issued alerts urging residents to remain indoors and seek shelter.
Explosions were heard in various parts of Abu Dhabi, while plumes of smoke were seen rising from the Juffair area of Bahrain, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters.
In Qatar, the Ministry of Defense announced it had intercepted Iranian missiles targeting the vicinity of Al Udeid Air Base, while the Kuwaiti army engaged hostile targets in its airspace amid a temporary suspension of flights.
In Riyadh, the sound of explosions coincided with a state of maximum alert at U.S. bases.
This escalation comes amid mounting tensions across the Middle East, undermining prospects for reviving the diplomatic track related to Iran’s nuclear file.
The developments follow a 12-day aerial confrontation between Israel and Iran last June, amid repeated warnings from Washington and Tel Aviv of renewed military action should Tehran continue advancing its nuclear and missile programs.
Israel and the United States maintain that any potential agreement must include the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, as well as the inclusion of its missile program in negotiations.
Iran, for its part, says it is willing to discuss limits on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions, while rejecting any linkage between that file and its missile program.
The article is a translation of the original Arabic.
