No notification on a possible application of UN Chapter VII: Joe Rajji

Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Rajji denied rumors that Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter could be applied to Lebanon, dismissing the claims in an interview with Radio Liban Libre after meeting with U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson.

Chapter VII allows the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions or authorize the use of force to "restore international peace and security." The Lebanese daily al-Liwa reported that the United States had suggested this possibility if the Lebanese government failed to disarm all militias in the country within a month.

Rajji said he discussed many topics with Johnson but that "the issue of Chapter VII was never raised." He also noted that he had "received no official notification on this matter from Washington." The minister and ambassador discussed the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, regional developments, and U.S. aid to Lebanon. When asked whether Johnson had set a deadline for the Israeli withdrawal, Rajji replied: "She gave no deadline, and this issue requires further discussions."

‘Exclusivity of arms in the hands of the state’

Rajji spoke a day after the new government's ministerial statement was finalized, reaffirming Lebanon's commitment to international resolutions, particularly U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, which calls for the disarmament of "Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias." He emphasized that the statement is "very clear regarding the state's monopoly on arms" and its sole authority over "decisions of war and peace," rejecting any claims of U.S. interference. "It was a purely Lebanese issue," he said.

The foreign minister, who represents the Lebanese Forces in the Cabinet, also said that U.S. assistance to the Lebanese army had never been interrupted, even as the Trump administration freezes aid to other countries. "On the contrary, Washington plans to grant the troops an additional assistance package," he said.

Addressing the "Irangate" issue, Rajji spoke about discussions with Iranian Ambassador Mojtaba Amani, who had protested Lebanon’s cancellation of permits for two weekly flights between Tehran and Beirut. Rajji said he stressed "the importance of preserving Lebanese sovereignty and ensuring balanced relations" between Lebanon and Iran. "I was very clear about the nature of past and current relations between our two countries. The discussion was very frank," he said.

Rajji also said he had asked Lebanon’s national airline, Middle East Airlines, to organize flights to Iran to repatriate stranded Lebanese citizens. He did not rule out arranging transit flights through Iraq or another country before their return to Beirut.

On Monday, Lebanon announced an indefinite extension of the suspension of flights to and from Iran after refusing landing permits for two Mahan Air planes due to Israeli threats to bomb Beirut airport. The flight ban sparked protests by Hezbollah supporters, who blocked the road leading to the airport, which is near the southern suburbs of the capital, a Hezbollah stronghold.