US Warns Lebanon of Severe Consequences if Hezbollah Attacks Israel Amid Iran Tensions

The United States has delivered a stark warning to Lebanon, conveyed through Lebanese government channels and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close Hezbollah ally. The warning cautioned that any rocket or drone attack by Hezbollah against Israel would provoke devastating retaliation, extending beyond southern Lebanon and north of the Litani River. This message came amid escalating tensions as the US planned to intensify its confrontation with Iran.

The warning followed a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Washington emphasizing that Netanyahu is poised to launch a broad military campaign should Hezbollah intervene in a US-Iran conflict. The US also indicated that the outcomes of these discussions would directly influence upcoming negotiations scheduled for August 4, 2026, in Rome. These talks aim to transition from preliminary understandings to implementing a framework agreement, focusing on the supervisory body for pilot zones.

Meanwhile, Lebanon has requested the involvement of UNIFIL peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon, a move opposed by Israel and rejected by the US, which is instead promoting a third-party force coordinated with General Joseph Clearfield. Lebanese President Michel Aoun appealed to Trump to pressure Israel to expand pilot zones to additional villages in southern Lebanon as part of a second phase. Trump agreed to consider this but conditioned progress on accelerated disarmament of Hezbollah and security assessments on the ground.