Lebanon is living through a war “imposed by Hezbollah and Iran,” with massive humanitarian and economic consequences, according to Marwan Abdallah, head of the Foreign Affairs Department of a Lebanese political party and vice chairman of the International Democratic Union.

Speaking on the Global Perspectives podcast hosted by the Martin Center, Abdallah said Lebanon has repeatedly been drawn into regional conflicts against its will, arguing that the country is now facing one of its most severe crises in decades.

“Today we are living in a war that was imposed on the Lebanese by Hezbollah and by the Iranians,” he said. “We are the hostages of the Iranian regional project.”

He said Hezbollah’s decision to engage militarily in the current regional escalation was taken in alignment with Tehran, adding that Lebanon had briefly been spared before being pulled into the confrontation.

According to Abdallah, the consequences have been severe: widespread Israeli retaliation, heavy strikes on southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs, and the displacement of around 1.2 million people.

“These people did not leave the country,” he said. “They are internally displaced, moving from one region to another. The pressure on society, infrastructure, and state institutions is enormous.”

Abdallah offered a historical overview of the Lebanese-Israeli border conflict, tracing developments from the 1949 truce agreement through multiple wars involving Palestinian factions, Israel’s 1978 and 1982 invasions, the withdrawal from most of Lebanon in 2000, and the establishment of the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission.

He recalled the creation of the so-called “blue line” after Israel’s withdrawal, describing it as a UN-managed ceasefire boundary monitored in part by European troops.

He also pointed to the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, followed by UN Security Council resolutions calling for militia disarmament and full state control over southern Lebanon.

More recently, he said, Hezbollah’s involvement in regional escalation after October 7, 2023, triggered renewed hostilities and a return to military confrontation in southern Lebanon.

He noted that Israel has since established what is being referred to as a “yellow line” — a buffer zone inside Lebanese territory.

“Israel moved deeper into southern Lebanon and created what is being described as a yellow line, a buffer zone where its forces are present,” he said.

Abdallah rejected the idea that such a zone could become permanent.

“We will not accept a single centimeter of Lebanese territory under foreign occupation,” he said. “What we need first is a ceasefire, then an Israeli withdrawal, and at the same time the disarmament of all militias, starting with Hezbollah.”

He argued that without disarmament, Lebanon would remain trapped in a cycle of repeated conflict.

Turning to domestic politics, Abdallah described Lebanon as a country shaped by deep sectarian divisions within a fragile power-sharing system.

Lebanon, he said, is composed of 18 recognized sectarian communities, each represented within state institutions.

“All powers are concentrated in the central government,” he said. “Every sect tries to maximize its influence, which often leads to confrontation rather than governance.”

He argued that Hezbollah’s position within the state creates institutional paralysis, particularly when it comes to strategic decisions such as negotiations with Israel.

He said the executive branch has attempted to pursue direct talks, but that these efforts face obstruction from other political actors.

“The system is being used to block decision-making rather than enable it,” he said.

Abdallah added that the immediate national priority should be disarmament of armed groups, followed by a comprehensive political reform process.

The Kataeb official also analyzed what he described as major shifts inside Israeli society and politics since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

He said younger generations across the region are increasingly opposed to war, shaped by social media, global connectivity, and access to competing narratives.

He highlighted a long-standing Lebanese law prohibiting contact with Israelis, calling it an obstacle to future negotiations.

“If I cannot speak to someone I disagree with, how can I reach an agreement?” he said.

He noted that this taboo is gradually eroding as digital platforms expose populations to both hardline and moderate voices on both sides.

On Israel itself, Abdallah said the country’s traditional strategic assumptions are changing.

He identified three pillars that he believes once defined Israeli security thinking:

1. Military superiority in the region

2. Unconditional Western support

3. Israel as the ultimate safe haven for Jews worldwide

“All three pillars are shifting,” he said.

He pointed to Israel’s vulnerability to missile attacks, growing political divisions in Western support, and increasing numbers of Jews choosing to live outside Israel.

“Israel is no longer seen as immune or unconditionally supported,” he said. “And for the first time, some Jews are leaving to live elsewhere because of ongoing conflict.”

Despite this, he said there is also a growing recognition within Israeli society that prolonged war is unsustainable.

“There is fatigue from war on all sides,” he said. “No country can live in permanent conflict.”

He added that a future peace arrangement could be possible if based on mutual recognition and equality.

“If peace means sovereign states living side by side with equal rights and respect for sovereignty, then why not?” he said.

Abdallah devoted a significant portion of the interview to Iran, describing it as a central destabilizing force in the region through both direct and proxy involvement.

He referred to recent regional escalation and said Iran had expanded its military response beyond Israel to several Arab states, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Iraq.

He also cited Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon as part of Iran’s regional strategy.

“You cannot coexist with the current Iranian regime,” he said, arguing that Iran’s missile and drone capabilities and its network of allied militias represent a long-term threat extending beyond the Middle East.

He warned that Iran’s ballistic missile development and proxy networks could eventually pose risks to Europe and beyond.

“These are not systems built only for regional use,” he said. “They are part of a broader strategy that extends internationally.”

He also referenced reported Iranian-linked activity in Europe, including alleged financing and security incidents in several countries.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Abdallah rejected any idea that Iran should retain leverage over global shipping routes.

He argued that allowing Tehran to control or negotiate access would encourage further geopolitical coercion.

“If such a card is granted, it will be used repeatedly and replicated elsewhere,” he said, warning of similar tactics in other maritime regions such as the Red Sea.

Instead, he said, any long-term stability requires stripping Iran of its military leverage.

Abdallah concluded that the region is undergoing major strategic change driven by war fatigue, shifting alliances, and evolving public opinion.

He said both Lebanese and Israeli societies increasingly share a desire for stability, but that political structures and armed groups continue to block progress.

“Everyone wants to live in peace,” he said. “The question is whether our systems will finally allow it.”