Joumblatt to L’Orient-Le Jour: What’s happening could harden Iran’s stance

Since Friday, Lebanon has so far remained a distant observer of the ongoing war between Israel and Iran.Just hours after the start of this unprecedented confrontation between the two regional powers, Hezbollah — Tehran’s proxy in Lebanon — signaled a willingness to stay out of the conflict. Has it drawn lessons from last autumn’s war in Lebanon?So far, Hezbollah’s circles remain noncommittal. They continue to blur the lines around the party’s official stance, convinced that Iran “does not need” the support of its regional armed affiliates to defend itself against Israel. Contingency plans? Joseph Aoun mobilizes to avert the worst in Lebanon For pro-Iranian voices, this serves as a rebuttal to their opponents — chief among them the Lebanese Forces (LF) — who argue that the moumanaa (resistance) camp is being crushed by Israel’s war...