In a blunt interview with CNN, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun directly challenged Iran's influence over his country, telling the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: "It is not your country, it is our country." The remarks mark a significant shift in tone from Beirut, as Aoun accused Tehran of using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in its broader confrontation with the United States and Israel.
"You are not trying to help us. It is the Lebanese who are paying the price for your own interests, and our interests do not coincide with yours," Aoun said. He stressed that the Lebanese people are exhausted by repeated wars between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia that holds substantial political and military power within the country. "We are tired and we want to live in peace," he added, noting that Lebanese homes are destroyed every five or ten years.
Aoun's Call for Direct Negotiations
Aoun announced that Lebanon is ready for direct peace talks with Israel, saying: "We are ready, willing and committed to negotiate. There is a major opportunity to end the state of war between the Lebanese and Israelis." He claimed to sense a strong desire for peace across Lebanese society, including within the Shia community, some of whom have told him they are weary of conflict. In a pointed remark, he said: "They are Lebanese, not followers of Naim Qassem," referring to Hezbollah's secretary-general.
However, Aoun criticized Israel's military strategy against Hezbollah, arguing that the group's influence can only be dismantled through state institutions and after an Israeli withdrawal. "They can invade the country or destroy it completely, but they will not achieve their objective, because Hezbollah is an idea," he said. Aoun, who served as army commander for eight years and carries shrapnel from battle wounds, emphasized his preference for diplomacy: "I prefer negotiation to war. I do not want my children or the people of Lebanon to live through the same suffering."
The president's stance aligns with that of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who has urged Tehran to stop using Beirut as a tool of pressure. Aoun concluded that he would try to negotiate and persuade Hezbollah to disarm, acknowledging that this is possible but at a high cost.
Iran's Response and Escalation on the Ground
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi swiftly rejected Aoun's accusations. In a post on X, Araqchi wrote: "Based on Mr Aoun's remarks, one might think that Iran is occupying one-fifth of Lebanon, has displaced a quarter of its population and is bombing his country on a daily basis." He added: "If Lebanon were a bargaining chip in Iran's hands, we would have reached an agreement a long time ago." Araqchi concluded with a sharp retort: "Save Lebanon from your real enemy, Mr President."
Meanwhile, efforts to de-escalate suffered a setback when an Israeli air strike hit a Lebanese military vehicle on the Khardali–Nabatieh road, killing several soldiers, including two officers. The Israeli army also struck a car in the town of Jarmak in southern Lebanon. Israel has warned that it will target Beirut's southern suburbs if northern areas come under Hezbollah attack, a threat that Araqchi said could spark a new Middle Eastern confrontation.
Hezbollah has rejected any discussion of disarmament before an Israeli withdrawal. Its secretary-general, Naim Qassem, considers negotiations a form of surrender, insisting that this approach is rejected by broad sectors of Lebanese society. The group, established in the 1980s, has fought repeated battles with Israel, leading to Israel's withdrawal from the border strip in 2000. Earlier this year, Hezbollah fired rockets toward Israel in response to a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior commanders.
Two days ago, Lebanon and Israel agreed to begin implementing a ceasefire, including pilot zones under Lebanese army control, conditional on a complete halt to Hezbollah attacks and the withdrawal of its fighters from south of the Litani River. According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli military operations have killed over 3,516 people, wounded more than 10,670, and displaced over one million since the end of February, when Khamenei's assassination drew Hezbollah into the confrontation between Tehran, Washington, and Tel Aviv.
For more on the complexities of the ceasefire and disarmament, see Lebanese MP: No Real Ceasefire Exists as Hezbollah Disarmament Looms.
