'Strength does not lie in making war, but in having the courage to end it through negotiation,' Aoun says

BEIRUT — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Tuesday that "strength does not lie in making war, but in having the necessary courage and wisdom to end it through negotiations, taking into account the interests of the country," shortly before a new round of negotiations scheduled to begin in Washington.

Hezbollah reopened the southern Lebanon front against Israel on March 2 in retaliation for the death of Iran's supreme leader who was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran two days earlier.

The negotiations, which Aoun described as "courageous," have been conducted by the Lebanese authorities since early April, directly with the Israeli side, under U.S. auspices. A new session of talks is scheduled to begin Tuesday in Washington, focusing on the political track.

Lebanese authorities, including President Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have faced regular criticism from the pro-Hezbollah camp for favoring a process of direct talks. The camp has instead advocated for indirect negotiations within a broader U.S.-Iranian framework. The current Lebanese authorities approach, by contrast, aims to keep the Lebanese and Iranian tracks separate.

Speaking Tuesday to a delegation of liberal professions unions at the Baabda Palace, Aoun indirectly criticized Hezbollah, described the current conflict as "a dead end." He said he is "doing [his] duty toward his people and his country," in reference to the ongoing negotiations.

He also addressed another recurring criticism from Hezbollah — that the state is risking civil war by pursuing disarmament and a monopoly of arms. Aoun said he is “concerned about civil peace and internal stability in Lebanon,” stressing efforts to “prevent discord that would threaten the very existence of Lebanon and serve Israel’s interests.”

"No one can undermine civil peace in Lebanon because the Lebanese are now widely convinced there is no turning back, and the political class is working to distance this specter and its disastrous consequences through clear and unified rhetoric," Aoun added.

Aoun also said that, “the Lebanese army is the best bulwark against a return to discord,” adding that it is fully fulfilling its role despite the regular criticism directed at it. The army has faced criticism since it failed to achieve the demilitarization of southern Lebanon, despite ministerial decisions to that effect taken since August 2025.