Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot demanded Wednesday that Lebanon be included in any ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, posting his call on X as Israeli airstrikes pounded Beirut.
Prevot made the statement while visiting the Lebanese capital, where explosions echoed through the city during his diplomatic mission. The timing highlights the disconnect between regional ceasefire efforts and the reality on the ground in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have ramped up operations against Hezbollah targets.
The Belgian minister's intervention reflects growing European frustration with piecemeal Middle East diplomacy. While Washington has pursued separate tracks with different regional players, European allies argue that Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah makes any sustainable ceasefire impossible without including all parties.
Prevot's visit to Beirut carries particular weight given Belgium's current role as a non-permanent UN Security Council member. European nations have watched Israeli operations in Lebanon escalate since October, with limited ability to influence either Israeli strategy or American mediation efforts.
The call exposes a fundamental tension in current US diplomacy: treating Iran and its proxies as separate negotiating entities when they operate as a connected network. Any deal that leaves Hezbollah outside the framework risks collapse, as the group has demonstrated its ability to restart conflict cycles regardless of agreements reached in Washington or Tehran.
The success of Belgium's push will depend on whether other European allies amplify the message and whether the Trump administration views broader regional inclusion as helpful or complicating to its current diplomatic efforts.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
