Lead:

Opinion columnists across Lebanon's major publications are analyzing the escalating US-Iran military posture, President Joseph Aoun's high-stakes visit to Washington, and what the emerging regional realignment means for Lebanese sovereignty, weapons control, and the country's negotiating position on maritime disputes and Israeli occupation.

Voices & Positions:

In Addiyar, unnamed analysis argues that Washington is deliberately pressuring Syrian entry into Lebanon militarily—a posture that remains mysterious given stated ceasefire goals, suggesting tactical incoherence at the highest levels of US strategy in the Levant.

In Addiyar, columnists contend that the Trump administration is simultaneously pursuing military escalation against Iran while signaling willingness to negotiate, mirroring Henry Kissinger's "dual-track" doctrine of force paired with diplomacy—a strategy that may corner Iran into either battlefield defeat or diplomatic concession.

In Addiyar, analysis suggests Hezbollah has suspended support for Iran's second round of strikes and is monitoring battlefield developments in the south while awaiting Lebanese army deployment, indicating caution rather than mobilization.

In Addiyar, commentary warns that Washington will not pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory, rendering President Aoun's White House meeting strategically constrained despite public optimism.

In Annahar, columnists frame the Red Sea and Hormuz Strait crises as maps of a wider US-Iran confrontation, with Trump deploying new military forces to maintain pressure.

In Annahar, analysis questions whether Yahya Sinwar understood Israel's capabilities before his death, and whether Israel miscalculated his resolve—framing the question as historically decisive.

Tension & Convergence:

Writers converge on the view that US policy combines military pressure with diplomatic signaling, aiming to drag Iran to the negotiating table. They diverge sharply on whether Lebanese state interests are being advanced or sacrificed: some see Aoun's Washington visit as an opportunity to secure military backing and force Israeli withdrawal; others view it as capitulation to a script already written in Washington, where Lebanese compliance is assumed and Israeli occupation normalized.

Editorial Takeaway:

The dominant voice today is skeptical that Lebanon's negotiating position has genuinely strengthened through American backing, despite official optimism surrounding President Aoun's White House engagement.