Lebanon's Aoun accuses Iran of using country as bargaining chip as Israeli strikes kill soldiers
In a CNN interview, President Joseph Aoun delivered a rare, direct rebuke of Iran and its Revolutionary Guard, accusing Tehran of interfering in Lebanon's affairs and exploiting the country as leverage in its negotiations with the US — telling Iran 'this is our country, not yours' and insisting Hezbollah does not represent the Lebanese people. The statement came as Israel pressed an intensifying offensive in southern Lebanon, striking roughly 150 Hezbollah-linked sites over two days and killing at least 21 people on the day, including three Lebanese soldiers — one a brigadier general — in a strike near Nabatieh that UNIFIL condemned as a 'serious violation' of sovereignty. The overall toll since the March 2 escalation reached about 3,558 dead. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the latest US-brokered ceasefire deal as 'surrender,' while parliament speaker Nabih Berri proposed a simultaneous Hezbollah-Israel withdrawal south of the Litani. Separately, Lebanon inaugurated its second international airport, Rene Mouawad Airport in Qleiat.
Why it matters
Aoun's open break with Iran marks a significant shift for a Lebanese head of state, signaling Beirut's attempt to pursue its own direct diplomacy with Israel rather than remain hostage to the wider Iran-US confrontation. With Hezbollah weakened but defiant after the broader regional war, the central question — disarming the group south of the Litani in exchange for Israeli withdrawal — risks either ending decades of conflict or tipping fragile Lebanon back toward internal strife.
🔎 Ground signal
The opening of the Rene Mouawad (Qleiat) airport in the north — long delayed for decades — is a notable domestic story signaling a state attempt to reduce single-point dependence on Beirut's airport, even amid war. Saudi Arabia's public condemnation of Israel and the army chief's trip to Pakistan hint at Beirut seeking Sunni/Gulf and South Asian diplomatic cover against both Israeli strikes and Iranian pressure.