Lebanon fears Israel attack on infrastructure in escalation

GENEVA: Lebanon's foreign minister said on Tuesday his country feared its infrastructure could be hit by Israeli strikes if the situation with Iran escalates. The comments from Youssef Raggi came amid a massive US military buildup in the Middle East that suggested Washington was prepared to wage a potentially sustained campaign against Iran. 'There are signs that the Israelis could strike very hard in the event of an escalation, potentially including strategic infrastructure such as the airport,' Raggi told reporters in Geneva. 'We are currently conducting diplomatic efforts to request that, even in the event of retaliation, Lebanese civilian infrastructure not be targeted,' he said. His stressed that his country's leadership had been very clear: 'This war does not concern us.'
On Monday, Washington ordered non-emergency personnel to leave its embassy in Beirut as anticipation rose of a possible conflict. Lebanon fears it could feel the repercussions of war in Iran, especially if Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah are involved in the conflict. Israel last Friday carried out deadly strikes on Hezbollah command centres in eastern Lebanon and targets linked to the Palestinian group Hamas in the south.
Hezbollah said on Saturday that eight of its fighters had been killed, and vowed renewed 'resistance'.
Lebanon's government last year committed to disarming Hezbollah, which was badly weakened in a recent war with Israel, and tasked the army with drawing up a plan to do so. Over the last few months, the military has, through its limited capabilities, worked to dismantle Hezbollah facilities and tunnels and confiscate weapons. It declared in January the completion of the first phase of its plan, which tackled the area south of the Litani river, located around 30 kilometres north of Israel. Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of re-arming, has criticised the army's progress as insufficient, and has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities with the group.
Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of the military, are carrying out drills on the country's southern shores of the Gulf, state media said on Tuesday. 'Combined 1404 (2026) exercise of the IRGC Ground Forces has begun,' state TV reported, referring to this year in both the Iranian and Gregorian calendars. The war games are focused on the south coasts but similar drills are happening in other parts of Iran, the report added.
They include drones, vessels, amphibious vehicles, ground-to-sea missiles and rockets as well as artillery, state TV said. 'Very good measures have been designed in various sectors, including missiles, artillery, drones, special forces, armoured vehicles and armoured personnel carriers,' Mohammad Karami, commander of IRGC ground forces, told state television. He said the drills were being conducted 'based on the threats that exist', without elaborating.
The drills come after Washington and Tehran concluded two rounds of talks aimed at reaching a deal on Iran's nuclear programme, with further talks set for Thursday. Washington has repeatedly called for zero uranium enrichment by Iran but has also sought to address its ballistic missile programme and support for militant groups in the region, demands Iran has rejected.
Western countries accuse the Islamic republic of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Tehran denies having such military ambitions but insists on its right to nuclear technology for civilian purposes. US President Donald Trump, who has ratcheted up pressure on Iran to reach an agreement, has deployed a significant naval force to the Middle East. He once again on Monday threatened Iran with a military attack if a deal is not reached. — AFP