Iran’s Foreign Minister Strongly Condemns Lebanese President’s Remarks on Hezbollah and US Negotiations

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi sharply responded to recent comments made by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, emphasizing that Lebanon is not Tehran’s bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States. Araghchi stated that if Lebanon were such a tool, “an agreement would have been reached long ago.” He urged the Lebanese president to save his country from what he described as its “real enemy.”

This reaction came after Joseph Aoun claimed in an interview with CNN that Iran and Hezbollah use Lebanon as leverage in their interactions with the United States. Aoun also said that the Lebanese people are paying the price for the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and are tired of the ongoing situation.

In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), Iran’s foreign minister referenced President Aoun’s statements by sarcastically noting, “According to Mr. Aoun’s remarks, apparently Iran occupies one-fifth of Lebanon’s territory, has displaced a quarter of its population, and daily bombs his country.” He added that if Lebanon were Iran’s bargaining chip, Tehran would have reached an agreement earlier.

Continuing in his interview, Joseph Aoun called on Iran to refrain from interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs and addressed Hezbollah by stating that diplomacy is the only solution to the conflict with Israel. He further alleged that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plays a role in Lebanon and described using Lebanon as a pressure tool in negotiations as “unacceptable.”

Following these remarks, Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan, the Ja’fari Mufti of Lebanon, also criticized the Lebanese president’s statements through a public message. He warned that persisting with such stances could harm Aoun’s national credibility and called on him to avoid positions that he deemed “unbefitting of the presidential office.”