President Joseph Aoun received a phone call Saturday evening from French President Emmanuel Macron during which they discussed “the rapid developments after the escalation of the Iranian-Israeli confrontations,” the Presidency said.

Hezbollah has long been considered Iran's first line of defense in case of a war with Israel. But since Israel launched its massive barrage against Iran this week, the Lebanese group has stayed out of the fray.

A network of powerful Iran-backed militias in Iraq has also remained mostly quiet — even though Israel used Iraq's airspace, in part, to carry out the attacks.

The warnings received by Lebanon with the start of the Israel-Iran conflict were not only passed on to Hezbollah but also to the Palestinian factions allied with it, especially Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, informed sources said.

“Their leaderships were unequivocally told that any military action from the Lebanese south, whether through rockets or any move of military nature, would be faced by a very firm and unprecedented Lebanese stance that includes taking totally unexpected political and security decisions,” the sources told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper in remarks published Saturday.

President Joseph Aoun on Saturday convened a security meeting to discuss the latest developments in light of the major escalation between Israel and Iran.

Lebanon reopened its airspace on Saturday morning, hours after closing it due to the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport apologized to passengers whose flights were delayed, saying it had closed the airspace late Friday for the safety of travelers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered an attack plan against Iran in November 2024, shortly after the elimination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah — one of Iran’s strongest proxies. That’s when Israel forecasted Iran would start rapidly advancing its nuclear program.

In a video statement circulated to journalists Friday evening, Netanyahu said the attack was supposed to happen in April but was postponed.

Lebanon’s National News Agency said Friday that an Israeli interception missile exploded over the southern Lebanese town of Ibl al-Saqi, as Israel’s Channel 14 said two interception missiles were fired at Iranian drones over Syria and Lebanon.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday condemned Israel’s massive attack on Iran’s nuclear and missile facilities and top military leaders and nuclear scientists, saying Israel’s hostile actions in the region “represent a cross-border threat to independent countries and to international security and stability.”

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem warned Friday that Israel’s massive attack on Iran “will have major repercussions on the region’s stability, seeing as it will not pass without a response and punishment.”

Hezbollah warned Friday that Israel's strikes on its main foreign backer Iran "threaten to ignite the region".

The group, which fought a two-month war with Israel last year, condemned the "brutal Israeli aggression" against Iranian nuclear facilities and scientists and said Israel was "engaging in adventures that threaten to ignite the entire region".