Salam tells Pezeshkian Lebanon won't be 'stage for regional conflicts'

Lebanese premier also pressed for Israeli withdrawal and Hezbollah disarmament

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, in a 20-minute session that marked the first direct engagement between the two leaders amid a months-long Lebanese effort to distance Beirut from decades of Iranian influence.

In a statement released by his press office, Salam told Pezeshkian that Lebanon had paid “a heavy price” in security, stability and economy and would not be “a stage for regional conflicts or a venue for exchanging messages.” He said Lebanon was seeking to “open a new page in relations” with Iran based on “sound state-to-state ties,” mutual respect for sovereignty, non-interference in each other’s affairs and mutual interests.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, also attended. After the meeting, Rajji told Lebanon’s MTV television station, “We said what we have to say in a very clear way. … This is our position.” He declined to disclose Iran’s response.

Salam used the session to press Pezeshkian on several concrete demands. He called on Iran to nominate a new ambassador to Beirut — a post that has been vacant since March, when the Lebanese Foreign Ministry declared Iran’s ambassador-designate, Mohammad Reza Shibani, persona non grata and ordered him to leave within three days, even before he had presented his credentials. According to UPI, Shibani remained at the Iranian Embassy for months, after which Lebanese General Security granted him a six-month residency extension as a compromise.

Salam also stressed that the Lebanese government’s priorities were Israel’s full withdrawal from Lebanese territory and an end to Israeli attacks, alongside extending state authority over all Lebanese territory and ensuring weapons are held exclusively by the state — language widely understood as a reference to calls for Hezbollah to disarm.

The meeting came as Lebanon has stepped up efforts to break free from Iranian influence, traditionally wielded through Hezbollah, amid what UPI described as a “destructive U.S.-led war against Tehran and its regime.” The weakening of Hezbollah — including the killing of its top leaders and military commanders during the war that began when the group launched strikes against Israel in support of Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023 — has enabled the Lebanese government’s harder line, UPI reported.

Since last year, Salam’s Cabinet has pursued a series of what UPI described as “bold, but calibrated” measures to contain Hezbollah, including partial disarmament in southern Lebanon and steps to designate the group’s military and security activities as unlawful after Hezbollah joined the war on Iran on March 2. The government has also moved against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, accusing it of commanding battles against Israel from Lebanese territory, outlawing its activities and ordering security services to arrest its operatives for deportation.

Lebanon has tightened practical controls on Iranian activity. It suspended direct flights to and from Iran, reinstated visa requirements for Iranian nationals and stepped up security inspections at Rafik Hariri International Airport, including more rigorous checks of arriving aircraft that carried diplomatic suitcases. Border controls have been strengthened to curb the smuggling of Iranian weapons and funds to Hezbollah.

Tensions between Beirut and Tehran rose further after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun decided to enter direct negotiations with Israel to end the war in Lebanon, despite strong Hezbollah opposition. Hezbollah had argued that such talks should be handled by Iran as part of its own negotiations with the United States.

In a separate meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in New York early Thursday, Salam welcomed Islamabad’s efforts to “de-escalate tensions in the region and promote diplomatic solutions” by mediating between the United States and Iran, saying any de-escalation would naturally have a positive impact on Lebanon. He reiterated that the Lebanese state alone should negotiate on behalf of Lebanon. Sharif said Pakistan had sought, through its regional contacts and diplomatic efforts, to ensure that Lebanon was included in any de-escalation process.