Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the outskirts of the village of al-Jarmaq, in southern Lebanon, on Oct. 20, 2025. (Credit: Rabih Daher/AFP)
The remainder of 2025 is shaping up to be a prelude to the challenges Lebanon will face in 2026. Along the southern border, military escalation has been matched by diplomatic deadlock.Hezbollah has begun rebuilding its infrastructure, the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon is preparing to withdraw from its role as a buffer force, Western capitals are adopting an increasingly reproachful tone toward Lebanese officials, and regional developments are setting a pace that Beirut can no longer afford to ignore. The backdrop Israel beats to the drums of war, Ortagus remains silent The urgency of the moment calls for a new national security approach, one that moves beyond partisan divides and foreign allegiances.Three factors keep Lebanon trapped in a vicious cycle: Israel’s unrestrained air supremacy, Hezbollah’s refusal — backed by Iran — to...
The remainder of 2025 is shaping up to be a prelude to the challenges Lebanon will face in 2026. Along the southern border, military escalation has been matched by diplomatic deadlock.Hezbollah has begun rebuilding its infrastructure, the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon is preparing to withdraw from its role as a buffer force, Western capitals are adopting an increasingly reproachful tone toward Lebanese officials, and regional developments are setting a pace that Beirut can no longer afford to ignore. The backdrop Israel beats to the drums of war, Ortagus remains silent The urgency of the moment calls for a new national security approach, one that moves beyond partisan divides and foreign allegiances.Three factors keep Lebanon trapped in a vicious cycle: Israel’s unrestrained air supremacy, Hezbollah’s refusal — backed by Iran...
