Lebanon refuses to be drawn into Iran conflict: PM

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Saturday that his country refused to be dragged into war, after Israel and the United States launched strikes against Iran.

Authorities fear the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah could become involved in the conflict, which saw the US and Israel bomb Iran on Saturday and Tehran respond with missile attacks.

Just before the operation began, Israel announced it was carrying out strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in south Lebanon.

"I reiterate that we will not accept anyone dragging the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity," Salam said on X.

"In light of the serious developments unfolding in the region, I once again call on all Lebanese to act with wisdom and patriotism, placing Lebanon and the Lebanese people's interests above any other consideration," he added.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the strikes Saturday had targeted mountainous areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence.

Hezbollah's leader, Naim Qassem, is expected to deliver a speech on Saturday at 1300 GMT.

A Hezbollah official told AFP on Wednesday that the Lebanese movement would not intervene militarily in the event of "limited" US strikes on its backer Iran, but would consider any attack against supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a "red line".

Lebanon's foreign minister said Tuesday that the government feared Israeli attacks on civilian infrastructure if Hezbollah -- which still has an arsenal of ballistic missiles -- became part of a regional conflict between the US and Iran.

Hezbollah leader Qassem has previously said that his group is in a "defensive position", but it would consider itself "targeted" by any US attack on Iran.

During the 12-day war between Israel and Iran last June, which the US ultimately joined, Hezbollah did not intervene.

The group emerged weakened from over a year of war with Israel that a November 2024 ceasefire sought to halt.