Lebanon Rejects Being Dragged Into Iran War - Ambassador

By Voon Miaw Ping

KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 (Bernama) -- Lebanon has rejected being drawn into the wider West Asia conflict, after Israel intensified attacks on its territory despite a two-week ceasefire agreement reached between the United States (US) and Iran on Tuesday.

Lebanon Ambassador to Malaysia Maher Kheir said the country is currently facing a dangerous situation from internal divisions and volatile regional tensions that pose unprecedented challenges to its sovereignty and stability.

“Lebanon is facing an extremely delicate phase, where internal divisions intersect with field development and regional pressures.

“We don’t want to be dragged into the war,” he told Bernama in response to the evolving situation in the region.

The US and Iran on April 8 reached a two-week ceasefire agreement after 40 days of intense hostilities that also spread to the Gulf states, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.

Iran has demanded that the ceasefire must include a halt to attacks on Lebanon, but Tel Aviv has blatantly ignored, stating that the truce does not cover the Lebanese front.

“Preliminary report indicates that at least 250 civilians were killed and over 1,000 others were injured yesterday alone (April 8).

“Israel bombarded Lebanon more than 100 times in 10 minutes even after truce was announced. The attacks were among the most severe since the beginning of the current escalation” Kheir said. 

Lebanese authorities reported that at least 1,497 people have been killed and 4,639 others injured in the brutal Israeli attacks since the resumption of cross-border hostilities targetting Tehran-backed Hezbollah group on March 2, despite a ceasefire that took place in November 2024.

Kheir said the attacks have drawn Lebanon into a military confrontation that does not serve its interests, prompting the government to ban the group’s military activities in the country.

Amid rising tensions, the Lebanese government also expelled the Iranian ambassador last month.

“The government reaffirmed the need to respect state authority and sovereignty, and to avoid being drawn into regional conflicts that do not concern Lebanon,” Kheir said.

The escalation further exacerbates the deepening humanitarian crisis in southern Lebanon where 1.2 million people have been displaced by the ongoing attacks by Israel forces.

Kheir said with residential areas destroyed and critical infrastructure damaged, many people have been forced to sleep on the streets.

“Israel is pursuing a policy of widespread destruction of residential infrastructure in the targeted areas, along with attempts to impose a new reality south of the Litani River by establishing a buffer zone to prevent the return of residents.

“This could lead to profound demographic changes within Lebanon and create new pockets of tension across multiple regions,” he said.

The ambassador also appealed to the international community to provide urgent humanitarian aid, citing critical shortages of shelter, food, medical supplies and other basic necessities.

He added that there are indications Israel is attempting to separate the Lebanese front from the broader regional confrontation with Iran, enabling it to act according to a unilateral agenda.

“This further increases the sensitivity of the internal Lebanese situation and exposes the country to potential escalation if the crisis is not addressed diplomatically.

“We are urging for international community to help stop this war on Lebanon,” he said.

-- BERNAMA