Lebanon needs no Iranian guardianship, president says

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said that Lebanon is a sovereign state that does not require Iranian guardianship, stressing that the country’s national interests must take precedence over external agendas.

His comments came in response to Iran’s missile attack on Israel on June 7, which followed an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

“We welcome assistance from friendly Gulf states, but intervention [by Iran] in the conflict to achieve goals that do not serve the interests of the Lebanese people is unacceptable to us,” Aoun said. “The continuation of the war will bring no benefit because we have chosen the path of negotiations.”

The Lebanese leader emphasized that the country is capable of rebuilding and strengthening its institutions independently.

According to Aoun, the Lebanese people, who “have contributed to the development of many countries,” are fully capable of restoring and reinforcing their state “without Iranian guardianship.”

The president’s remarks follow statements he made on June 5, when he urged Iran’s leadership to refrain from interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs. Aoun argued that Lebanon had secured a ceasefire with Israel through difficult negotiations and should not be drawn into broader regional disputes.

He further claimed that “the Iranians are using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in negotiations over resolving the conflict with the United States, and the Lebanese people are paying the price for it.”

Iran rejected the allegations. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, dismissed accusations of interference and said that “Lebanon’s real enemy is Israel.”

By Vafa Guliyeva