Lebanese ambassador calls for ceasefire as Iran fires hundreds of missiles at Israel
by Will Conroy · LBCExclusive
By Will Conroy
The Ambassador of Lebanon to the United Kingdom has said “diplomacy should prevail before it’s too late” after Iran fired around 200 missiles towards Israel.
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Footage has shown missiles flying over Jordan with other images showing missiles in the skies above the city of Tel Aviv as Iran said it launched "tens" of missiles at Israel.
It comes as Israeli troops operate within Lebanese borders. IDF special forces have been deployed to ‘dismantle’ Hezbollah’s military capabilities “preventing it from carrying out another Oct 7-style attack”, the IDF said.
Hezbollah, which translates to "The Party of God", has had its militants trained by Iran and is regarded as an Iranian proxy.
Amid fears of further escalation, Rami Mortada, the Ambassador of Lebanon to the United Kingdom has told Andrew Marr on LBC that “reason and diplomacy should prevail”.
On whether Israel’s advances could destroy Lebanon, Mr Mortada said: “Already they are destroying, when you have more than 500 people killed on the same day and they are all civilians.
“The only way that the concerns should be addressed is through diplomatic ways. So I think before it's too late, before the region enters into a fully irreversible destabilising path I think reason should prevail and diplomacy should prevail.”
IDF forces have been operating from inside Lebanon’s borders ‘for months,’ an IDF military spokesman said.
Israeli special forces have carried out more than 70 operations in southern Lebanon over the last year, it has been reported.
A special operations squad of between 20 and 40 soldiers has been working in border areas uncovering tunnel shafts, weapons, operational posts and storage facilities.
Mr Mortada has called for a 21-day ceasefire to allow diplomatic conversations to be held and for displaced people on each side of the conflict to be returned.
However, he believes the intentions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to inflict “strategic change in the region” which he says is “totally destabilising”.
He told Andrew: “The UK, US, France and others - 15 nations - are calling for a 21 day ceasefire in Lebanon and during these 21 days we would intend to embark into negotiations where all concerns would be addressed.
“If it's about the 60,000 displaced Israelis we also have today 1 million displaced Lebanese, so all these grievances should be on the table and (we should) come out with a suitable diplomatic arrangement.
“However, I would say the real war aim of Israel is not bringing back its population. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the real war aim is to inflict strategic change in the region and I think that is totally destabilising.”
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Despite saying he did not justify the Iranian missiles into Israel, Mr Mortada said “you would expect these things” based on Israel’s actions in a “volatile and already dangerous region”.
The Lebanese ambassador said: “Well we've always said that Israel war mongering will open a pandora box in the region - a region which was already volatile and already dangerous.
“So the current Israeli operation is adding an extra layer of complexity and you would expect these things, without justifying it’s just about explaining.
He added: “It's not my role to comment about Iranian war tactics but what I'm saying is that when you start a war you should expect - especially in this region that is very complex.”