Iran talks holding Israel back from striking Beirut

The army has so far refrained from striking the Lebanese capital.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel’s Security Cabinet met Tuesday to discuss the situation in Lebanon as senior political officials told top IDF commanders they did not want Israel “to be perceived as those sabotaging Trump’s agreement” while maintaining military pressure against Hezbollah.

According to officials cited during the discussions, “freedom of action in Beirut is limited,” and the political leadership rejected a proposal by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to demolish buildings in Beirut’s Dahieh district.

An Iranian source told Al Jazeera of a warning issued to the US that any Israeli strike on Beirut would cause serious damage to peace talks aimed at ending the conflict.

The army has so far refrained from striking the Lebanese capital.

Israeli officials assessed that even if a potential agreement linked to ongoing US-Iran contacts is not signed soon, fighting would not resume.

At the same time, a military official acknowledged that expanding IDF ground operations beyond the Yellow Line in Lebanon would not remove the drone threat facing northern Israeli communities.

More than 15 drones crossed into Israel since Tuesday morning, according to the report.

The IDF has defined countering drones as a primary operational effort, with specialists developing technological responses, including nets, shotguns, and dispersal munitions.

The military has also continued targeted strikes against Hezbollah drone storage facilities.

Since Monday, approximately 150 targets have been attacked, including 90 weapons depots, terrorist infrastructure sites, and Hezbollah command centers, security officials said.

Officials added that operations were intended to push Hezbollah operatives farther north and that strikes in Beirut could still be approved under the existing authorization system if targets are identified there.

The IDF said about 700 terrorists have been killed since the ceasefire began, including 610 identified by name.

Israeli forces have also launched raids beyond the Yellow Line to expand control beyond existing defensive positions.

The military on Tuesday began issuing emergency Order 8 mobilization notices to additional reserve soldiers after internal discussions over potentially expanding operations in Lebanon.