Photo- Five bridges on the Litani River have been blown up by Israel since March 2, 2026 when the Iranian Revolutionary Guard fired first rockets against Israel
“How many more Lebanese must die for a war that is not theirs?”Expelling Iran’s envoy must be the first step.
By: Ali Hussein, Lebanese Political Analyst , Op.Ed
Over 1,000 lives have already been lost—fathers, mothers, sons, daughters—sacrificed not for Lebanon’s defense, but for a foreign agenda. With Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders directing Hezbollah’s war effort, Lebanon is no longer even pretending to control its own fate.
On Tuesday, Lebanon withdrew its approval of Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani, declared him persona non grata, and ordered him to leave by March 29, 2026. Lebanese officials also made clear that the move was a response to repeated Iranian violations of diplomatic norms, even if it stopped short of a full break in relations
Lebanon must not retreat from its decision to expel Iran’s ambassador. If anything, it should go further.
This is no longer just a diplomatic issue. It is a matter of sovereignty, survival, and accountability.
What makes this moment different is now undeniable: Hezbollah is no longer even acting independently—it is being directly guided by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Reports confirm that IRGC commanders have been deeply embedded in Lebanon, coordinating operations and even being targeted and killed in Israeli strikes, underscoring their operational role on Lebanese soil.
This means one thing: Lebanon is being dragged into a war commanded from outside its borders.
And the cost has been devastating.
More than 1,000 Lebanese have already been killed since this war began, with thousands more wounded and over a million displaced.
Over a thousand lives lost—not for Lebanon’s national defense, not for its sovereignty, but for a conflict driven by Iran’s regional ambitions.
Beyond the loss of life, Lebanon itself is being broken apart. Bridges that once connected communities now lie in ruins, severing towns from each other and families from safety. Roads are shattered, infrastructure is collapsing, and daily life is grinding to a halt. What is being destroyed is not just concrete and steel—it is the very backbone of a nation already struggling to survive.
Let that sink in.
This is the core truth that must be said clearly:
This is not Lebanon’s war.
The Lebanese government did not choose it. The Lebanese people did not vote for it. Yet they are the ones burying their dead, watching their homes destroyed, and seeing their country once again turned into a battlefield.
For decades, Iran has used Hezbollah as a tool to project power across the region. Today, that control has become even more explicit. IRGC officers are not just advisors—they are part of the command structure. And when foreign commanders direct military operations from Lebanese territory, sovereignty is no longer theoretical—it is already lost.
That is why expelling the Iranian envoy is not escalation—it is a minimum requirement.
And the government must not cave to pressure from Hezbollah politicians who are demanding that the envoy remain. Any official who opposes this decision should be asked a simple question:
Is your loyalty to Lebanon—or to Tehran?
The Lebanese people are increasingly answering that question themselves. Many are openly supporting the government’s move, exhausted by years of war, economic collapse, and foreign interference.
But expelling the envoy is only the first step.
Lebanon must now reassess its entire relationship with Iran. Diplomacy cannot be used as a cover for military control. Friendship cannot mean domination. And partnership cannot mean sacrificing Lebanese lives for foreign agendas.
With friends like Iran, Lebanon does not need enemies.
This is a defining moment. Lebanon must choose: remain a battlefield for others—or reclaim its state, its sovereignty, and its future.
Time for allegiance to Lebanon.
