Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged the United States on Thursday to help de-escalate growing tensions near the Israel-Lebanon border, requesting diplomatic backing to enforce United Nations resolutions and reassert state control in southern Lebanon.
During a meeting with Thomas Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, Aoun called for Israel’s withdrawal from five contested hills, an end to cross-border fire, and a renewal of the mandate for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). He also pledged to deploy 10,000 Lebanese troops south of the Litani River, saying they would be tasked with disarming unauthorized groups and implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
“Despite Lebanon’s commitment to Resolution 1701, Israel continues to obstruct its full implementation,” Aoun said.
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While Washington has not publicly stated its position, Barrack reportedly welcomed Aoun’s proposals. Discussions also touched on removing weapons from Palestinian refugee camps, a politically delicate issue in Lebanon.
The meeting came as Hezbollah reaffirmed its loyalty to Iran, condemning recent threats against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The group warned of “dangerous consequences” and dispatched a delegation of Lebanese and Palestinian faction leaders to the Iranian Embassy in Beirut.
Iranian Chargé d’Affaires Tawfiq Samadi said any Iranian response would be “limited and proportional,” but warned the US of potential “strategic consequences” for its backing of Israel.
Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s official stance that only the state should hold arms, underscoring the internal tension over Hezbollah’s continued military and political clout.