Lebanon’s president and prime minister say their country must stay out of the conflict between Israel and Iran because any engagement would be detrimental to the small nation engulfed in an economic c

Yet, Hezbollah, once Iran's best equipped and biggest militia group in the region, issued a statement only hours after the attack. But Hezbollah did not offer to join in the retaliation-- even though,

Israel warned ‘there will be no calm in Beirut’ after launching the largest attack on the city since the ceasefire.

"Hezbollah is committed to the ceasefire agreement, even though Israel has not respected this commitment over the past period," the spokesperson said. "It continues to kill, assassinate, and attack areas, including entering border villages and remaining at the five points."

Lebanese journalist Raghida Dergham and former Mossad analyst Sima Shine spoke about Iran's waning power after the decimation of Hezbollah and the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

After a bruising war between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon’s new leaders sense an opportunity to revitalize the country’s devastated economy with help from its wealthy Gulf neighbors.

Israel said Friday it would continue striking Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, a day after carrying out its heaviest bombardment yet of south Beirut. The escalation is a violation of the US-brokered ceasefire that began in November.

Israel launched its most extensive series of airstrikes on the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut on Thursday, as well as Ain Qana in south Lebanon, stating it targeted Hezbollah drone production and storage facilities.

Israel has continued to carry out near-daily strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon since then, which Lebanon has said are in violation of the ceasefire deal. Israeli officials say the strikes are intended to prevent Hezbollah from regrouping after a war that took out much of its senior leadership and arsenal.

An art expert who appeared on the BBC’s Bargain Hunt show has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for failing to report his sale of pricey works to a suspected financier of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group.

Iran conflictLebanese officials have urged Hezbollah not to join Iran’s response to Israeli attacks and the group has assured them it will not take part, security sources told The National on Saturday.