Lebanese President Escalates Rhetoric Against Iran and Hezbollah: "It is not your country, it is ours"

Lebanese President Escalates Rhetoric Against Iran and Hezbollah: "It is not your country, it is ours"

In one of the most forceful statements since the escalation of the Middle East crisis, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has sharply criticized foreign interference in his country. In an exclusive interview with CNN on Friday (5), Aoun openly accused Iran of using Lebanese territory as a "bargaining chip" in its geopolitical negotiations with Washington and Israel.

Addressing Tehran directly—the main backer of the Hezbollah militia—the head of state demanded an immediate end to meddling in Lebanon's internal affairs. "You are not trying to help us... the people of Lebanon are paying the price for your interests," the president fired back, adding a direct warning: "It is not your country, it is our country."

Internal Rift and Rejection of Hezbollah

The interview also marked a rare moment of direct public confrontation between the presidency and Hezbollah's leadership. Joseph Aoun categorically stated that the group's Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, "does not represent the Lebanese people."

The statement comes shortly after Qassem publicly rejected the latest ceasefire proposal brokered by Washington on Wednesday. The militia leader labeled the diplomatic terms a "surrender" and a "defeat," demanding the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.

For Aoun, however, Hezbollah's stance ignores the suffering of the civilian population. The president argued that the Lebanese people are exhausted from seeing their lives and infrastructure cyclically destroyed by conflicts triggered by external interests.

Government Alignment and the Future of the Deal

The president's positioning reflects a profound rift and a firmer stance from the official Lebanese government. On the same day, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam endorsed the criticisms, publicly calling on Iran to "have mercy" on southern Lebanon and to stop using the local population as a bargaining chip on the international stage.

The ceasefire plan supported by the Lebanese government envisions the creation of "pilot security zones" in the south of the country, which would be exclusively controlled by the official Lebanese Armed Forces. This would require the retreat and disarmament of non-state militias in the border region—a term that Hezbollah firmly resists.