Exclusive: Aoun’s Clearest Message to Iran… “Face to Face”
By Amin Al-Kossaifi
Lebanese Forces Website Team
The meeting between President Joseph Aoun and the Iranian delegation in Baabda Palace, during their visit to Beirut to attend the funeral of Hezbollah’s former Secretary-Generals, Nasrallah and Safi Al-Din, continues to resonate across official, political, and public circles in Lebanon. The message President Aoun conveyed to the Iranian delegation, led by Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and attended by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Raji, and Iran’s Ambassador to Beirut Mojtaba Amani, was clear and eloquent:
“Lebanon is tired of fighting others’ wars, and the unity of the Lebanese is the best way to confront any loss or aggression. Lebanon has paid a heavy price for the Palestinian cause and supports the resolutions of the recent Riyadh summit regarding the two-state solution.”
Political writer and analyst Elias Zoghbi believes that “Lebanon has been regaining its position as an independent state for the past two months, starting with the election of a new president and the formation of a new government, both accompanied by clear positions on Lebanon’s sovereignty and political independence, from the inauguration speech to the ministerial statement.”
Speaking to the Lebanese Forces website, Zoghbi adds: “Yes, Lebanon has regained its sovereign voice, clearly and face-to-face, as demonstrated in the exceptional meeting between President Joseph Aoun and the official Iranian delegation attending Nasrallah and Safi Al-Din’s funeral.” He points out that “it is no small matter for the President to tell this delegation, explicitly and directly, ‘Lebanon is tired of others’ wars on its land.’ The term ‘others’ here unmistakably refers to the visiting delegation itself, particularly in light of the recent war orchestrated by Iran under the guise of supporting Gaza.”
Zoghbi argues that “this distinguished sovereign stance by President Aoun encapsulates the new phase Lebanon has embarked on, successfully curbing many external interferences, especially from Tehran, in Lebanese affairs. The discipline exhibited by the Iranian delegation—from the airport to the presidential palace and during the funeral—suggests that Iran is beginning to sense its influence waning, or at least declining, in Beirut, the fourth Arab capital under its sway, following its collapse in Damascus, its decline in Baghdad, and its embarrassment in Yemen.”
He also notes that “all the signs surrounding the funeral of Nasrallah and Safi Al-Din indicate that the event was more of a farewell to a past era than just a tribute to two influential figures. We have entered a new phase. The funeral also exposed Hezbollah’s deep uncertainty about its future direction. In Sheikh Naim Qassem’s speech, we saw contradictions: he pledged loyalty to the Lebanese state and adherence to the Taif Agreement while simultaneously reaffirming Hezbollah’s commitment to armed resistance—two irreconcilable positions.”
According to Zoghbi, “perhaps Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s leadership, and their backers in Tehran believe they can revive the previous era under this duality—maintaining illegal arms under the banner of resistance while exploiting Lebanon’s official institutions through government participation and administrative influence to control national policy.”
However, Zoghbi argues that “this equation is no longer viable. The new Lebanese state has decisively asserted its sovereignty in foreign policy, as repeatedly emphasized by Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, President Aoun, and Prime Minister alike.”
He continues: “Therefore, the attempt to revive the previous phase—where Hezbollah could wield both arms and political power—has effectively been closed. The Iranian delegation likely recognized this reality, as it made no public objections to this new direction, especially when the President reaffirmed the state’s control over Rafik Hariri International Airport and Lebanon’s independent foreign policy.”
Thus, Zoghbi concludes, “we are witnessing the dismantling of Iranian influence in Lebanon, which is now reduced to mere echoes of a once-massive funeral gathering. This funeral may well mark the final chapter of using populism and mass mobilization to achieve political goals. The era of leveraging crowds to drag Lebanon into one axis or another is nearing its end. There are no signs that such tactics can be repeated successfully in the future. In fact, as observers, we believe that the manipulation of public sentiment for political ends is gradually weakening and will fade away in the medium term.”