As Lebanon’s state institutions, religious authorities, and communities focus on preparations for Pope Leo XIV’s three-day visit, officials expect what many have already dubbed “the Pope’s truce” to temporarily ease tensions. Yet senior political and diplomatic actors warn that fears of a full-scale Israeli operation are rising sharply and can no longer be dismissed as mere posturing. According to Annahar, diplomats shuttling between Beirut and foreign capitals involved in managing the Lebanon crisis say recent messages from international intermediaries have converged on stark warnings that a countdown to major military action is already underway.

Political and diplomatic circles in Beirut were shaken this week by unusually grave remarks from Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty during his visit to Lebanon, in which he cautioned that Israel may be preparing a “massive and destructive” ground and air campaign.

At the same time, Iranian involvement in the crisis triggered fresh controversy. Lebanese political sources said Tehran’s latest interventions—relayed through a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader—added new tension, especially as Iranian and Israeli signals appeared, in the words of one official, to “intersect dangerously” in a way that leaves Lebanon exposed. Combined, these pressures have intensified international demands on Lebanese authorities to move quickly on enforcing weapons restrictions before events escalate beyond control.

A parallel development in Paris underscored the extent of Iranian engagement in the crisis. Annahar’s correspondent reported that during a high-level meeting between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Tehran took a hard line on the issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament.

Diplomatic sources told the paper that Araghchi flatly rejected a French proposal to transfer Hezbollah’s weapons to the Lebanese Army. He reportedly argued that the group “cannot surrender its weapons, which are essential for its defense against Israel,” and warned that disarming Hezbollah could trigger civil war and lead to the “destruction of the Shiite community” in Lebanon.

According to the same sources, Barrot countered that Hezbollah must “change its position if it does not want to lose everything,” arguing that the group should trade its arsenal for political, economic, and financial guarantees designed to protect Lebanon’s Shiite community.

These sources said Lebanese authorities must act quickly to avert further escalation, stressing that the Lebanese Army must ramp up its efforts to collect weapons from Hezbollah in the south and elsewhere because the country faces “grave danger.”

Against this backdrop, President Joseph Aoun told UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari on Thursday that Lebanon welcomes any support from the UN or friendly states aimed at stabilizing the south and halting Israel’s “continuous attacks” on civilians, villages, and towns.

Aoun noted that Thursday marked one year since the ceasefire announcement. He said Lebanon has fully complied with the agreement, while Israel “continues to refuse implementation,” maintains its occupation of border areas, and persists in its attacks despite repeated international appeals to uphold UN Security Council Resolution 1701. He also accused Israel of repeatedly targeting UN peacekeepers.

The president added that he had launched several initiatives to negotiate lasting solutions, but none received practical responses—even though they had garnered broad international support.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam delivered one of his strongest statements yet, arguing that Lebanon has fallen behind in asserting state authority and controlling weapons, as required by the Taif Agreement.

He acknowledged Hezbollah’s role in liberating the south but sharply challenged its justification for maintaining an armed wing.

“Hezbollah says its weapons deter attacks,” Salam told members of the Press Club’s administrative board. “Deterrence means preventing the enemy from attacking. But Israel attacked, and the weapons did not deter it.”

He said Hezbollah’s arsenal has neither protected its own leaders nor safeguarded Lebanese civilians or their property, pointing to “dozens of erased villages” as evidence.

“Is Hezbollah’s weapon today capable of stopping Israeli attacks?” Salam asked. “This weapon has neither deterred nor protected nor brought victory to Gaza.”

He also recalled that Lebanon failed to implement Resolution 1701 in 2006 and noted that the preamble to the ceasefire agreement clearly identifies only six entities authorized to bear arms.