Lebanon urges for diplomacy amid escalating Iran-Israel war

As the Iran-Israel war escalated with US strikes targeting alleged Iranian nuclear sites, the Lebanese President Joseph Aoun warned that the region cannot withstand a widening of the conflict, and called for urgent negotiations, according to Asharq Al-Awsat on June 23rd.

On June 22nd, in a statement posted on X, President Aoun declared: “Lebanon, its leadership, parties, and people, are more aware than ever that it has paid a heavy price for the wars fought on its land and in the region. It is unwilling to pay more.”

The latest escalation follows a week of intensifying air and missile exchanges between Iran and Israel, threatening to engulf the broader Middle East. With Washington’s recent military involvement, U.S. President Donald Trump has hinted at the possibility of pursuing regime change in Tehran. In response, Iranian authorities have vowed to defend their sovereignty. This marks the most significant Western military action in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The international community, however, has urgently called for restraint and a return to diplomacy, warning that any deepening of the conflict would devastate an already fragile region.

Even Lebanon’s Hezbollah — a long-time ally of Iran — has signalled reluctance to enter the conflict, despite the involvement of the US. The Lebanese government has urged the group to avoid involvement, fearing the catastrophic consequences another war would have on the country’s already-strained political and economic situation. During a recent visit to Beirut, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack described any Hezbollah intervention as a “very bad decision.”

As the conflict shows no signs of de-escalation, hopes for a negotiated settlement appear increasingly remote. The Middle East, beset by multiple intersecting crises, faces a precarious future — raising questions about the costs of another large-scale international war.

Asharq Al-Awsat, Maghrebi.org