07:18 09-04-2026

Belgian FM Nearly Hit in Beirut During Israeli Strikes

Belgian FM Maksim Prevo was near Israeli strikes in Beirut as attacks hit Lebanon, raising tensions with Iran and threatening upcoming US-Iran talks.

Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maksim Prevo narrowly avoided being caught in an Israeli strike during his visit to Beirut, where he had traveled to discuss prospects for a ceasefire in the region.

According to Prevo, a powerful explosion occurred just a few hundred meters from him and his delegation while they were at the embassy. He indicated that the strike came shortly after his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, during which he had welcomed an initiative to launch formal ceasefire negotiations with Israel. The Israeli military, he noted, carried out one of its most intense attacks since the escalation began, without prior warning, with reports suggesting that hundreds of civilians were affected.

The incident unfolded against the backdrop of a two-week pause in hostilities agreed on April 8 between Iran and the United States. Delegations from both countries are expected to meet in Pakistan on April 10.

Despite these developments, Israeli forces launched large-scale strikes across Lebanon as part of an operation known as «Eternal Darkness», aimed at targeting Hezbollah command centers and weakening the group. Airstrikes reportedly hit central districts of Beirut, including Mazraa, Manara, Ain el-Mreisse, and Barbour, as well as multiple areas in the southern suburbs of the capital.

In response, Iranian authorities again closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping and are considering a military operation against Israel following the attacks on Lebanon.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports that more than 100 people have been killed and around 1,000 injured in the strikes.

Sources cited by The Wall Street Journal indicate that Iran may withdraw from planned talks with the United States in Islamabad if Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue.