Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a branch of al-Qard al-Hassan, in Mar Mikhail-Shiyah, on March 9, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L’Orient-Le Jour)
Something appears to be shifting in Lebanon, though it is still unclear exactly what. Israeli threats are becoming more explicit, U.S. warnings are growing more frequent, Iran is returning to the Lebanese scene, and Hezbollah is showing that it can mobilize financial resources. Meanwhile, the future of the international presence in southern Lebanon and the course of military negotiations remain uncertain. Diplomatic channels Aoun, Araghchi agree on need for diplomatic solutions to regional conflicts Taken individually, these developments could reflect separate dynamics. Yet their simultaneous timing is intriguing, as if several actors were positioning themselves in anticipation of changes whose contours remain unclear.In the South, Israeli threats and US assurancesOn Wednesday, Israel’s tone hardened. Defense Minister Israel Katz...
Something appears to be shifting in Lebanon, though it is still unclear exactly what. Israeli threats are becoming more explicit, U.S. warnings are growing more frequent, Iran is returning to the Lebanese scene, and Hezbollah is showing that it can mobilize financial resources. Meanwhile, the future of the international presence in southern Lebanon and the course of military negotiations remain uncertain. Diplomatic channels Aoun, Araghchi agree on need for diplomatic solutions to regional conflicts Taken individually, these developments could reflect separate dynamics. Yet their simultaneous timing is intriguing, as if several actors were positioning themselves in anticipation of changes whose contours remain unclear.In the South, Israeli threats and US assurancesOn Wednesday, Israel’s tone hardened. Defense Minister Israel...
