The President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, in a meeting with a delegation from the Institute for Middle East Studies in Washington, at Baabda Palace, on April 29, 2025. Photo provided by the Presidency of the Republic.
Lebanon’s leadership has escalated its rhetoric following an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburb last Sunday, with officials urging stronger enforcement of the Nov. 27, 2024, cease-fire agreement.
President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday told a visiting delegation from the Washington-based Middle East Institute, led by retired U.S. Gen. Joseph Votel, that “maintaining a stable and secure Lebanon is in the interest of the United States.”
Aoun also said the Lebanese Army needs “urgent assistance to enable military units to fulfill their responsibilities in maintaining security and stability,” adding that the U.S. should help Lebanon achieve “sustainable stability.”
His remarks come as Lebanese officials push the U.S. and France — sponsors of the cease-fire that ended more than 13 months of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel — to pressure Israel to stop what they describe as ongoing violations of the agreement.
A day earlier, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem had urged the Lebanese government to adopt a more assertive diplomatic stance, including summoning U.S. and French ambassadors to protest Israeli actions.
“State monopoly on arms is irreversible”
During Tuesday’s meeting, Aoun also took aim at Hezbollah’s armed status, emphasizing that “the state’s monopoly on weapons is irreversible and has broad support from the Lebanese people and friendly countries.”
“This process will not cause security disturbances,” he said, noting that disarmament will take place “through dialogue with concerned parties, who are also committed to stability, civil peace, and the role of the central state.”
Aoun added that regional developments still favor peaceful solutions, even if slow to materialize.
Debate over Hezbollah’s weapons has resurfaced after the group emerged weakened from its latest war with Israel, compounded by its diminished support from longtime ally Syria.
Citing government sources, the al-Markaziya news agency reported that the Lebanese Army has conducted raids at more than 500 Hezbollah sites both north and south of the Litani River, including in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
American Gen. Jasper Jeffers, who leads the cease-fire monitoring commission, is expected in Beirut on Wednesday to meet with Lebanese officials.
Push for reforms and refugee repatriation
On the economic front, Aoun said Lebanon is continuing financial, economic, and administrative reforms, and described the country’s participation in the recent spring meetings with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank as “positive.”
On border issues, the president said the Lebanese Army is actively working to prevent smuggling and regulate movements between Lebanon and Syria.
He reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to repatriating Syrian refugees, arguing that the conditions that once justified their presence in Lebanon have “largely disappeared.” He also urged lifting sanctions on Syria, saying it would revive the country’s economy and support refugee return.
Salam backs cease-Fire implementation
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also condemned recent Israeli violations of the cease-fire, warning that Israel’s ongoing military presence in southern Lebanon “threatens stability.”
Speaking Tuesday during a meeting with the Lebanese Press Syndicate, Salam said the Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburb and other recent actions “violate the provisions of the cessation of hostilities.”
He called for activating the cease-fire supervision committee to prevent further violations and urged France and the United States to “stand by Lebanon” in upholding the agreement.
“Lebanon is committed to the agreement — which notably includes the disarmament of Hezbollah and deployment of the Lebanese Army in the South — and Israel must be as well,” Salam said.
He also criticized Hezbollah, reminding the public that the group had endorsed the Cabinet’s ministerial declaration affirming the state’s exclusive control over arms.
In parallel, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani and Jordan’s King Abdullah II held a phone call Tuesday to discuss the “need to consolidate the cease-fire in Lebanon,” according to a statement from the Iraqi prime minister’s office.
President Aoun is expected to travel to the United Arab Emirates in the coming days for a state visit at the invitation of President Mohammad bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
