The Salam Cabinet Launches the Hunt for the Pasdaran
Panic in the streets of Beirut and massive exodus after the Israeli evacuation order for the southern suburb
The Council of Ministers, meeting on Thursday at the Grand Serail, adopted several measures aimed at preventing any activity and presence of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Lebanon, in what is perceived as a real hunt for Pasdaran in the country.
The government has asked the relevant ministries (Defense and Interior), as well as municipalities and various security services, to take all necessary measures to prevent any military and security activity of the Revolutionary Guards on Lebanese territory. The concerned authorities have been tasked with detecting the presence of Pasdaran in the country, arresting them, and expelling them. Furthermore, upon a proposal from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joe Raggi, the government decided to require an entry visa for all Iranian nationals wishing to travel to Lebanon.
It should be noted that at the beginning of the Council of Ministers meeting, the head of government sharply stigmatized those who “committed the sin of dragging Lebanon into adventures that we all could have well done without.” Mr. Salam deplored the attitude of those who acted in this way “disregarding the catastrophic consequences of their behavior on the country, to serve foreign interests contrary to the interest of Lebanon.”
On another note, the streets and entrances of Beirut were the scene on Thursday afternoon of a widespread panic and traffic jam after the Israeli army’s call to evacuate several neighborhoods in the southern suburbs without delay. Tens of thousands of residents left their homes in a hurry, most not knowing where to go. This massive exodus caused inextricable traffic jams in the capital’s streets. It should be recalled that the Israeli army also requested on Wednesday the evacuation of the entire southern region located south of the Litani.
According to various sources, the Israeli army intends to simply raze several neighborhoods in the southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold. The Israeli Minister of Finance declared unequivocally on Thursday that Beirut’s southern suburbs would suffer the same fate as Khan Younis in Gaza, i.e., total destruction. In this context, it should be noted that President Joseph Aoun contacted President Emmanuel Macron to ask him to intervene with the Israeli government to spare the southern suburbs.
In this context, it should be recalled that in recent months the Trump Administration had repeatedly urged the Lebanese authorities to implement without delay the content of Security Council Resolution 1701 as well as the provisions of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement concerning the handover of Hezbollah's military arsenal to the Lebanese army. Failing that, US leaders stressed, the Israeli army would disarm the pro-Iranian militia. US efforts on this front, however, remained a dead letter.
At the same time, the Trump Administration had warned in recent weeks against any attempt by Hezbollah to drag Lebanon into a new warlike adventure, in the wake of the conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Washington had repeatedly warned the authorities that Hezbollah's involvement in the conflict with Iran would have disastrous and dramatic consequences for Lebanon. Here too, US warnings remained a dead letter…
Joumblatt speaks out against “the madness of certain parties in Lebanon”
In this context, it should be noted that after a meeting on Thursday evening with President Joseph Aoun, the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, MP Taymour Joumblatt, declared that “the inhabitants of the South are paying the price for the madness of certain parties in Lebanon and abroad.” Mr. Joumblatt emphasized in this regard that the decision of war and peace should be in the hands of the central state.