Prime Minister Nawaf Salam Urges Hezbollah to Support Lebanon's Negotiations with Israel

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam appealed to Hezbollah to rescue Lebanon by prioritizing the country's interests above those of Iran and to align with the government in securing the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Salam told Reuters, "Hezbollah must move faster than us, or at least at the same pace, and publicly declare its support for the negotiations we are conducting in Washington."

The talks between Israel and Lebanon, under U.S. sponsorship, are scheduled to resume on June 22.

Salam acknowledged Lebanon's sensitivity to the Islamabad negotiations but reaffirmed the insistence on negotiating as an independent state, emphasizing that "no one negotiates on its behalf."

He added from his office, "Of course, we are affected by the negotiation process in Islamabad... so how about a war and its consequences being fought on our land? We are influenced by war, peace, and calm in the region. Islamabad, or any other location, will inevitably impact us."

Salam continued, "If this path leads to a ceasefire and calm in the region, we will certainly benefit from it."

He described Lebanon's choice as the least costly path and rejected the notion that Hezbollah's disarmament is an Israeli condition, stating, "Let us get rid of this confusion."

He recalled, "The Lebanese agreed in the Taif Agreement of 1989 to extend the Lebanese state's authority over all its territory. We reaffirmed this in our ministerial statement, emphasizing the exclusivity of arms and the restoration of decisions on war and peace to the state. Did Israel sit with us at the table and help draft our ministerial statement? Of course not."

Salam added, "We maintain constant communication with Hezbollah, and all that is required from it is to fulfill its commitments. The south is supposed to be a weapons-free zone, and Hezbollah has twice given the government its confidence, which stresses the exclusivity of arms in its ministerial statement. Nothing more is expected from Hezbollah."

Addressing Hezbollah directly, Salam said, "If you truly care about your so-called environment and its tragedies, all that is required of you is to honor your commitments. We are not asking for anything more than that."

Washington has not provided any guarantees regarding the future of Lebanese negotiations with Israel, but Salam remarked, "It is better to give the final whistle to the American mediator and not listen to political chatter."

Salam concluded, "Our problem with Hezbollah is Hezbollah's weapons. We consider Hezbollah a Lebanese political force and want it to fulfill its Lebanese commitments. We are asking you to abide by your pledges."