Lebanese Prime Minister warns against risky actions amid crisis

Middle Eastern outlets present Mikati’s stance as an attempt to keep Lebanon neutral while warning Hezbollah and other groups not to drag the country into Iran’s confrontation with the US and Israel. They stress that Lebanese leaders are trying to balance deterrence and defense with a clear refusal to open a new front that could devastate the country again. They expect continued pressure on Hezbollah to limit its actions to political support rather than cross-border attacks.

• •Najib Mikati is using the language of banning Hezbollah’s military activities from Lebanese territory to signal that the state does not authorize any attacks on Israel or US interests.
• •Lebanese officials argue that any rocket fire or raids from southern Lebanon would give Israel a pretext to launch large-scale strikes similar to 2006.
• •Commentators in the region say Hezbollah is currently sitting on the sidelines of the Iran-US war despite its alliance with Tehran.
• •Lebanese leaders insist that mobilizing resources for defense is meant to protect the country from outside aggression, not to join Iran’s fight.
• •Regional coverage suggests that if Hezbollah ignores Mikati’s warnings, it risks internal backlash from a population exhausted by economic crisis and past wars.