Lebanese President Calls Washington Agreement "Last Chance" for Peace and Demands End to Iranian Interference

Lebanese President Calls Washington Agreement "Last Chance" for Peace and Demands End to Iranian Interference

In a decisive moment for national sovereignty and regional security, the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, escalated diplomatic rhetoric by characterizing the new U.S.-mediated truce proposal as the "last opportunity" to achieve a comprehensive and definitive ceasefire with Israel.

The statement follows the conclusion of a complex fourth round of negotiations at the U.S. Department of State in Washington. The Presidential Palace confirmed that the dialogues reached moments of extreme tension, leading to a temporary suspension by the head of the Lebanese delegation, Simon Karam, who demanded formal guarantees of an integral ceasefire before advancing the agenda. Resuming the talks required the direct intervention of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

According to President Aoun, the practical implementation plan of the agreement features an agile timeline, capable of being initiated within 24 hours of securing compliance guarantees from all internal parties involved, including Hezbollah. The Lebanese leader pointed to U.S. President Donald Trump as the direct guarantor for the execution of the treaty's terms.

Absolute Defense of National Sovereignty

In parallel with the efforts in Washington, President Joseph Aoun delivered a stark and direct message to Tehran during an interview with the international network CNN, demanding that external forces stay out of the country's domestic affairs:

"This is not your country, it is ours (...) You do not have to intervene in our country," the President declared, calling on Iran to cease its interference on Lebanese soil.

The presidential stance was backed by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who publicly urged the Iranian government to stop using southern Lebanon as a bargaining chip or a "means of leverage" for its own negotiating agendas with the United States.

Implementation Challenges on the Ground

The structured peace plan projects the creation of "pilot security zones" in the southern region of Lebanon—encompassing strategic localities such as Zawtar al-Sharqiya, Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Yahmar, and the surroundings of the historic Beaufort Castle. Under the scope of the agreement, the Lebanese Army would assume exclusive territorial control over these areas, requiring the complete withdrawal of militias and non-state actors.

The government acknowledges severe internal hurdles to consolidating the project, heightened by the public rejection of the Washington terms by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, and the persistence of Israeli incursions and strikes in the south of the country. Nonetheless, the presidency reaffirms its unwavering commitment to diplomacy, the centrality of the Armed Forces, and the restoration of Lebanon's full territorial sovereignty.