Joseph Aoun

Force in Play

Called the June 3 ceasefire deal a 'last opportunity'; said it would take effect within 24 hours of all parties — especially Hezbollah — approving it; Hezbollah declined

The June 2–3 State Department talks produced a conditional ceasefire agreement. Hezbollah must halt all attacks and withdraw its operatives from south of the Litani River; both sides also agreed on pilot zones where the Lebanese Armed Forces take exclusive control of designated territory. Hezbollah rejected the terms within hours, with Naim Qassem calling the deal 'a roadmap to annihilate part of the Lebanese people' and demanding a full Israeli withdrawal first.

Updated 3 days ago

Force in Play

First president elected after Hezbollah's battlefield losses

Iran has stationed diplomats, intelligence officers, and Revolutionary Guard operatives in Lebanon for more than four decades, building Hezbollah into the most powerful non-state military force in the Middle East. On March 24, 2026, Lebanon's foreign ministry told Iran's newly appointed ambassador-designate to leave the country within five days — the first time Beirut has ever expelled an Iranian envoy.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Caught between Israeli military operations and Hezbollah's defiance

Israel's ground invasion of Lebanon, launched March 1, has systematically destroyed Litani River bridges. Strikes on April 4 targeted the Sohmor and Mashghara connections in eastern Lebanon.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

Overseeing disarmament effort

Israel and Hezbollah signed a ceasefire on November 27, 2024, ending a year of cross-border war that killed nearly 4,000 Lebanese and displaced 1.4 million people. Fifteen months later, Israel had conducted over 10,500 documented violations, including 7,500 airspace violations and more than 3,000 ground and air strikes, killing over 450 people. On February 21, 2026, strikes hit the Bekaa Valley near Baalbek, killing at least 10 (eight Hezbollah operatives and three children), while a separate strike on Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp killed two Hamas operatives.

Updated May 21

Force in Play

Leading state disarmament effort since January 2025

On January 8, 2026, Lebanon's military announced it had completed phase one of disarming Hezbollah and other militias south of the Litani River, bringing weapons under state control for the first time in 40 years. Over 9,000 soldiers swept the region devastated by the 2024 war (4,000 killed, 1.3 million displaced), clearing ordnance and tunnels. Hours later, Iran's foreign minister arrived for talks; the next day, Israel resumed strikes while occupying five hilltops—business as usual despite the milestone.

Updated May 19