Arab News | Lebanon PM tells Iran president country cannot be arena for regional wars

NEW YORK: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday that his country did not want to be an arena for regional wars, after Tehran-backed Hezbollah drew it into the Middle East conflict.

Lebanon has repeatedly accused Iran of interfering in its affairs, especially since the start of the latest war, alleging that Tehran was using it as a “bargaining chip” in talks with the United States.

Salam’s office said in a statement that he met with Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Salam “stressed that Lebanon has paid a heavy price in terms of its security, stability and economy, and that it does not want to become an arena for regional conflicts or a venue for the exchange of messages between others”, it said.

Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the broader Middle East war, which began with Israeli-US strikes on Iran, by attacking Israel in support of the Islamic republic on March 2.

Israel responded with major airstrikes and a ground invasion that killed more than 4,300 people.

The war followed a 2023-2024 conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which started when the group attacked Israel in support of its ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Violence declined following a June framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel and a wider US-Iran deal, but Israel has continued to carry out attacks on its northern neighbour.

Salam said his country looked forward “to turning a new page” in its ties with Iran.

He called for “building a sound state-to-state relationship based on mutual respect for each country’s sovereignty and independence, non-interference in each other’s affairs and shared interests”.

Salam said the priority was for “Israel to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory and cease its attacks, and for Lebanon to move forward with extending the authority of the Lebanese state over all of its territory”.

He said Lebanon needed to ensure “that weapons are held exclusively by the state”, in a jab at Hezbollah, which has so far refused to lay down its arms.

In an interview with AFP last week, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said bilateral relations “must be based on mutual respect and non-interference”.