Levant: Politics

Domestic

The Lebanese government banned all military and security activities by Hezbollah as the conflict with Israel escalated. This domestic action coincided with Israeli strikes and threats of a ground invasion. UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Beirut, urging both Israel and Hezbollah to halt the fighting to prevent further regional destabilization. Concurrently, the government ended visa-free entry for Iranian citizens and banned all activity by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps within Lebanon. This followed Israeli strikes near the Iranian embassy, after which Iranian diplomats departed the country.

International

Israeli officials declared their intent to defeat or dismantle Hezbollah, a position stated at the UN, and conducted bombing attacks in Lebanon. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia, accused Israel of launching a premeditated war and promised retaliation. Its involvement in the conflict has drawn Lebanon deeper into hostilities. Reports indicate growing frustration and criticism within Lebanon toward Hezbollah, with suggestions that the group is dragging the country into a wider war and deepening its own domestic isolation.