A file photo shows Lebanese army soldiers marching during a military parade commemorating the 76th anniversary of Lebanese independence from France at the Defence Ministry headquarters in Yarze. (AFP)
BEIRUT: A planned international conference in Paris to support the Lebanese Armed Forces has been postponed amid escalating regional tensions following the latest US-Israeli-Iranian confrontation, Lebanese officials confirmed on Sunday.
Arab News has learned that French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to formally notify Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that the conference, originally scheduled for Thursday, cannot proceed because of the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the region, shifting international priorities, and disruptions to air travel affecting participants’ attendance.
France had planned to host the March 5 fundraising conference to mobilize international financial and logistical support for the Lebanese army, which continues to grapple with severe funding shortages during Lebanon’s prolonged economic crisis.
The army has been tasked since August with consolidating weapons under exclusive state control, a mission that has grown complex as operations expand north of the Litani River, a vast and densely populated area requiring significant manpower and equipment.
Lebanon committed to advancing disarmament efforts under the Nov. 2024 ceasefire agreement with Israel, with the army announcing the completion of the first phase in January.
Army commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal last month briefed the Cabinet that the next phase aims to confiscate illegal weapons, including those belonging to Hezbollah and Palestinian factions, between the Litani and Awali rivers over a period of four to eight months.
Hezbollah mobilizes supporters
Against this backdrop, Hezbollah called for rallies on Sunday to mourn Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in Israeli strikes on Iran a day earlier.
Hezbollah supporters gathered to mourn the death of Iran’s supreme leader who was killed in an Israeli US strike on February 28
Thousands of Hezbollah supporters dressed in black gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs and in villages across southern Lebanon, waving Iranian and Hezbollah flags. The demonstrations dispersed in less than an hour and were marked by an absence of speeches or overt calls for escalation.
In a statement mourning Khamenei, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem condemned what he described as “American and Israeli tyrants,” but avoided any direct call for retaliation against Israel.
Security measures were heightened in the capital ahead of the gatherings, with the Lebanese army reinforcing deployments around Beirut’s southern suburbs and along roads leading to predominantly Christian areas to prevent any unrest.
The Supreme Defense Council convened under President Joseph Aoun hours after Iran confirmed Khamenei’s death and following Iranian missile strikes targeting Gulf states hosting US bases.
Aoun expressed “fraternal solidarity” with Arab states and condemned attacks on civilians and infrastructure. He reaffirmed Lebanon’s official position that the decision of war and peace rests solely with the Lebanese state and its constitutional institutions — a stance reflected in both his presidential oath and the government’s ministerial statement.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stressed the need to safeguard Lebanon’s internal stability, urging that the interests of the Lebanese people take precedence and calling for strict control of the security situation in the south and east.
In a precautionary measure, the Lebanese army also announced the suspension of all drone photography permits nationwide effective March 1 until further notice.
Despite mounting regional tensions, Lebanese officials have repeatedly emphasized their determination to prevent the country from being drawn into a broader confrontation.
ARAB NEWS
