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3. ​​​​​​​Missiles Over Lebanon, Silence Below: When the Government Abdicates Its Sovereignty

Overnight from Saturday to Sunday, Iranian ballistic missiles crossed Lebanese skies, heading toward northern Israel, visible from several localities in the South, the Beqaa Valley and even Beirut. They were neither launched from Lebanon nor aimed at it, but they violated its airspace, once again, as if it didn’t exist. And once again, our sovereignty was trampled and the Lebanese government remained silent, numb in its inertia, incapable of reacting to yet another humiliation.

No statement. No condemnation. No emergency cabinet meeting to address one of the gravest acts a state can endure: the blatant violation of its national territory by a foreign military arsenal.

It wasn’t until several days later, on Monday morning, that the government finally met—not to discuss the security, political or diplomatic implications of these missile overflights, but to discuss… diplomatic appointments. A surreal agenda, reflective of an executive authority disconnected from geopolitical reality and the distress of its citizens.

A Territory Abandoned, Sovereignty Surrendered

What occurred is not a simple technical incident or collateral damage from a regional conflict. It is an act of war—one that may not have targeted Lebanon, but that used its territory as a corridor. A ballistic corridor, at the mercy of powers that treat Lebanese airspace as a mere passage, without even finding it necessary to notify, let alone ask for permission.

The silence of the Lebanese government is a confession. A confession of total abdication of its most fundamental responsibilities: to protect its territory, defend its sovereignty and ensure the security of its citizens. This silence is also a form of passive complicity—a way of saying that Lebanon, through cowardice or calculation, accepts being instrumentalized in conflicts that are not its own.

When the Government Cares More About Posts Than Missiles

It must be emphasized: it was not the Supreme Defense Council that met after the fact, nor was a crisis unit convened. It was an ordinary Council of Ministers, whose main agenda item concerned ambassadorial appointments and sectarian balances in diplomacy. While Lebanon's skies are pierced by warheads, the government focuses on chairs.

This posture is not only irresponsible, it is dangerous. It sends a clear message to all regional powers: Lebanon is a political vacuum, a territory without real authority, where one can fly over, fire through, come and go, without ever facing consequences.

Where Are the Outraged Voices?

It is also striking to observe the deafening silence of the political class as a whole. Few officials have denounced this violation. Most parliamentary blocs, party leaders, opposition or ruling figures, have looked the other way—as if mentioning national sovereignty might upset certain tacit balances or disturb regional alliances.

But the Lebanese people saw it. They saw the bright trails of ballistic missiles over their homes. They heard the deep rumble of military overflights. They know their country is no longer master of its land, sky or future.

What This Inertia Reveals

This latest episode reveals the full extent of the Lebanese state’s collapse. A state incapable of saying no. A state with neither a defense strategy nor a geopolitical vision. A state whose institutions have been reduced to bargaining halls for political clans, while national sovereignty melts like snow in the sun.

In the past, such an act would have triggered a diplomatic shockwave, an outcry in foreign capitals, an appeal to the Security Council, even an official complaint to the UN. Today, in Lebanon, it provokes only indifference and resignation.

A Sovereignty to Rebuild

Lebanon will never recover unless it reclaims sovereignty over its entire territory, from its airspace to its borders. As long as its leaders treat violations of its territory as routine, it will remain a fragile, submissive and exposed country.

It is urgent for the Lebanese people to demand accountability—not just over appointments, budgets or reforms, but over what remains of their country. Silence does not protect, it exposes. And the first step toward restoring sovereignty is refusing to remain silent.