Lebanese PM Calls for Israeli Withdrawal, State Monopoly on Arms at UN

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, demanded Israel's withdrawal from all Lebanese territories. He called for respect for internationally recognized borders and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, emphasizing that Lebanon's sovereignty depends on the state's full authority over its land. Salam insisted that only the Lebanese state should possess weapons and that decisions regarding war and peace must be exclusively made by its constitutional institutions.

Salam described the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah as a "war Lebanon was dragged into despite repeated warnings of escalation risks." He asserted that "no organization outside the Lebanese state has the right to speak or negotiate on behalf of Lebanon." Regarding the anticipated withdrawal of UNIFIL forces, he cautioned against creating a security vacuum in southern Lebanon and proposed forming a new international force to undertake specific monitoring, coordination, and reporting roles after the current mission departs.

The Lebanese Prime Minister also condemned Iranian attacks on several Arab nations, expressing solidarity with Gulf states and Jordan against Tehran's actions, which he believes threaten regional security and maritime navigation.