Lebanon’s president: Israel sent message through US that it won’t strike if it isn’t attacked from Lebanon

By Lazar Berman

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28 February 2026, 8:00 pm

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Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

Clouds cover is heavy over the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, at sunset Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Israel sends a message of de-escalation to the Lebanese government through the United States, the Lebanese Presidency announces.

According to his office, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun received from US Ambassador Michel Issa a message “confirming that the Israeli side has no intention of undertaking any escalation against Lebanon, as long as there are no hostile actions from the Lebanese side.”

Aoun’s government is hostile to Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, and to Iranian meddling in Lebanon. The very public announcement of the Israeli missive on Aoun’s official X channel is likely a means of pressuring Hezbollah to avoid dragging the country into war by hitting Israel.