The beginning of Lebanon’s fight to reclaim its future - opinion

Lebanon has taken a significant step toward reclaiming its sovereignty with a recently signed 14-point agreement with Israel. Mediated by the U.S., this deal marks a crucial moment for the nation, asserting that no foreign state or armed group has the authority to make decisions on Lebanon's behalf.

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no foreign state or armed group has the authority to make decisions on Lebanon’s behalf.

For decades, Lebanon has grappled with a contradiction: it declared itself a sovereign nation, yet critical decisions were often dictated by external forces. The influence of armed organizations, particularly Hezbollah, which claimed to defend Lebanon while aligning with Iran's regional agenda, has led to prolonged economic collapse, political paralysis, and cycles of conflict. Lebanese families have endured these hardships as their country's future became increasingly entangled with Iran's ambitions.

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While it called itself a sovereign nation, some of its most consequential decisions were never truly made in Beirut.

The opening of a front against Israel by Hezbollah on October 8, 2023, and again on March 2, 2026, exemplifies how Lebanon has been drawn into conflicts serving Tehran's objectives rather than its own national interests. Communities on both sides of the border have paid a heavy price. Visits to northern Israel revealed towns transformed into ghost towns, with shuttered businesses and constant sounds of conflict, while Lebanese Shi'ite villages used for launching attacks became battlefields, leaving civilians to bear the brunt of the fighting.

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its military campaigns repeatedly served Tehran’s regional objectives far more than Lebanon’s national interests.