President of the Republic Joseph Aoun (center) receiving a delegation from the Greek-Catholic League in Lebanon, at the Baabda Palace, on June 22, 2026. (Credit: official X account of the Lebanese presidency)
BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun thanked any foreign "aid" that could help bring an end to the war in Lebanon, while stressing that he makes a distinction between such aid and "interference," a day after negotiations began between Iran and the United States in Switzerland, which focused primarily on ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah and Tehran insist on including the Lebanese front in a regional cease-fire. Iran had refused to participate in talks as long as the Israeli army continued its strikes on Lebanon, while the Lebanese authorities want to separate the issues, and a new round of discussions is set to take place this week in Washington between Beirut and Tel Aviv.
In this context, the head of state praised "all aid that comes to Lebanon to end the war," but said he "distinguishes between aid and interference in our internal affairs, because we are a sovereign country and no one negotiates on our behalf."
"The state, not the communities, is capable of protecting everyone. We have no choice but a single, strong state that represents all Lebanese," he said, adding that there must be "continuous work to achieve this objective." Since taking office in early 2025, Aoun, along with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, has worked to achieve the disarmament of Hezbollah and its integration into the Lebanese state so that the monopoly on arms is restored solely to the state.
The president stressed that "differences of opinion are legitimate, but conflict among Lebanese is unacceptable, especially considering the circumstances the country is facing."
