October 7, 2026
A joint military exercise between the Lebanese and British armies, called “Pegasus Cedar 2026,” will begin today, Tuesday, and will continue for three weeks, with the participation of military personnel and representatives of several countries, including the United States and Italy, while France, Cyprus, Qatar, and Jordan participate as observers.
The Lebanese Army explained that the maneuver aims to enhance the capabilities of its military units and raise the level of coordination with friendly armies, and will include training on patrols, incursions, and fighting in built-up areas. For its part, the British Embassy indicated that its soldiers deployed in Cyprus will join the exercise with the aim of strengthening defense relations and improving operational readiness, noting that Britain is one of the most prominent supporters of the Lebanese army – which includes about 80,000 soldiers and relies heavily on foreign aid – as it has provided it with millions of dollars over the past years, especially to support the training of its members to secure land borders.
These developments come in light of intense Lebanese efforts to strengthen international support for the military establishment. Last month, President Joseph Aoun met in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and Jordanian King Abdullah II to discuss this file.
These maneuvers are of exceptional importance due to their coincidence with major challenges facing the Lebanese army in completing its deployment in the south of the country, in implementation of the agreement concluded in June between Lebanon and Israel, which stipulates the disarmament of Hezbollah and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.
In this context, regional and international questions are rising about the Lebanese army’s ability and willingness to confiscate Hezbollah’s weapons and prevent the implementation of any operations from Lebanese territory against Israel, especially since previous reports and indicators spoke of intersections and coordination between the two sides, or cases of the army turning a blind eye to the party’s activities. Thus, the most prominent test for the army remains its ability to transform this international support and joint training into field effectiveness and real presence, especially in the southern sector, where its sovereign tasks overlap with the complex disarmament file.
