Beirut, June 6: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has sharply criticized Iran for using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States. He emphasized that the people of Lebanon are weary of war and deserve to live in peace.
In an interview with CNN’s chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour, Aoun expressed his concerns. This interview was released by the Lebanese presidential office on Friday.
On Thursday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that a key condition for accepting the agreement made with the US and Israel on April 8 was a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon.
During the interview, Aoun stated, “This is not your country; it is our country. It is unacceptable for regional powers to use Lebanon for their interests while ordinary Lebanese citizens suffer from death, displacement, and devastation due to conflict.”
The Lebanese President stressed that dialogue is the only practical way to end the ongoing conflict between Lebanon and Israel. He noted that the Lebanese government must address the issue of Hezbollah domestically, focusing on the root causes of the group’s armed presence, which include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territories and the end of hostilities.
Aoun pointed out that most Lebanese citizens from all communities and regions are exhausted from decades of conflict.
Commenting on statements made by Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem, he remarked, “They are the people of Lebanon, not Naim Qassem’s people.” Qassem had opposed the agreement and threatened to bring down the government through street protests.
Additionally, on Friday, Israeli airstrikes and drone attacks in southern Lebanon resulted in at least 13 deaths and 15 injuries. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), these attacks targeted at least eight towns, including Dweir, Haboush, and Burj Kallawiyah.
In the Tyre district, an airstrike near the Jabal Amel hospital destroyed a bank building, injuring 12 civilians. Meanwhile, Hezbollah claimed its fighters targeted Israeli soldiers and vehicles near the Shuqif (Beaufort) Castle and other areas. Late Friday, Lebanon’s Public Health Emergency Operations Center reported that an Israeli airstrike on the city of Jebdine killed five people and injured two, including a woman and a medical staff member.
According to the Lebanese Public Health Ministry’s Emergency Operations Center, the total death toll from Israeli attacks since March 2 has reached 3,558, with 10,870 injuries. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that they killed two Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon on Friday.
The military reported that both individuals were involved in a previous encounter with soldiers from the “Sayeret Matkal” (IDF’s elite reconnaissance and special operations unit), during which an Israeli officer was seriously injured. The IDF later conducted a search operation in the area, locating and eliminating both individuals, while also targeting other Hezbollah infrastructure in the region.
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