Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has detached his country’s negotiations with Israel from the recently announced preliminary deal between the US and Iran, which ended the war and set a 60-day negotiation period to reach a final agreement.
Pakistan, the primary mediator, and Iran said that the deal includes Lebanon, which has been engaged in US-mediated direct talks with Israel to end the fighting between the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and Israel.
Independent Path
“The assurances we have received, and what we insist on is that Lebanon’s course in the negotiations is independent, though we certainly support a ceasefire and welcome any state that helps us, including Iran,” Aoun said on Wednesday, according to a statement by his office.
Moreover, the Lebanese leader reiterated his rejection of any interference in Lebanon’s affairs. “The Lebanese state is sovereign in its decision-making, and for the first time, it is the one conducting the negotiations, and nobody is negotiating for us,” he stressed.
“I reassure the Lebanese that nobody is tying us to any other country, and any settlement will be through us, not at our expense,” he added.
Lebanon-Israel Talks
Following the outbreak of fighting on March 2, after Hezbollah’s decision to target Israel with drones and missiles in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Aoun instructed his government to launch direct negotiations with Israel to reach a ceasefire agreement, with US mediation.
The fifth round of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel will take place next week in Washington. In light of this, Aoun hoped that the negotiations “will be more positive, particularly considering the US administration’s great interest in Lebanon.”
Hezbollah, which opposes the government’s direct negotiations with Israel, thanked Tehran for insisting on including Lebanon in its deal with the US, although Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon continued through Wednesday.
So far, the conflict in Lebanon has killed more than 3,800 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
