Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has rejected any suggestion that another country should negotiate on its behalf, following the creation of a ceasefire monitoring mechanism between Israel and Hezbollah that includes Iran.
The mechanism, which does not include Israel, was announced after the first day of US-Iran talks in Switzerland that aim to secure a lasting peace within 60 days.
Lebanese officials contacted by The National declined to comment on the proposal, which would give Iran, Hezbollah's main backer, a formal role in Lebanese affairs and link the future of the Lebanese front to the outcome of the US-Iran negotiations.
President Aoun, however, insisted that his country would oppose any attempt to have its interests negotiated by another country, despite acknowledging that he had received a phone call informing him that Lebanon had joined the new process.
“We welcome any assistance to end the war, but we distinguish between assistance and interference in internal affairs because we are a sovereign country and no one negotiates on our behalf,” Mr Aoun said.
He was speaking at the presidential palace after his office announced that he had received a call from US Vice President JD Vance, senior adviser Jared Kushner and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman.
They discussed “the issue of consolidating the ceasefire in Lebanon, halting the Israeli military escalation, and the steps that should be taken in this regard, including the possibility of establishing a cell for this purpose,” his office said in a statement.
Linking files
A 2024 ceasefire led to the creation of a US-led mechanism involving France, UN peacekeepers Unifil, Israel and Lebanon, which was intended to serve as a channel for de-escalation along the border.
It was repeatedly violated by Israel, which remained in southern Lebanon and carried out daily strikes across the country.
Hezbollah did not respond to those attacks until the conflict flared up again on March 2, when the militant group fired rockets at Israel for the first time since 2024 in support of its backer, Iran.
Lebanese political and security sources told The National the new mechanism could tie Lebanon's fate to the broader regional negotiations between Washington and Tehran. But many questions remain about the proposed mechanism, which includes Qatari mediators.
“This means we now have two mechanisms: one that includes Israelis and Americans, and one that includes Iranians and Americans. Will the two mechanisms co-ordinate? It is likely to happen through the Americans,” a Lebanese security official said.
A political source in Beirut said that by creating this mechanism and making Lebanon part of it, the US has now made it “very hard to separate the Lebanese file from the Iranian one. Lebanon is not more attached to Iran regionally than before”.
According to a source close to Hezbollah, Iran is now “part of Lebanon's security equation, with formal American acknowledgement,” something that Tehran has been keen on achieving to protect its ally Hezbollah amid mounting internal and external calls to disarm.
Iran has consistently sought to include Lebanon in the wider negotiations, which did not include formal Lebanese representation, insisting that any ceasefire agreement should include the Lebanese front and the withdrawal of Israeli troops, which occupy roughly seven per cent of Lebanon.
After intense fighting over the past week, violence in Lebanon has largely paused since Saturday evening, after Iran announced it would once again close the strategic Strait of Hormuz following waves of Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the “deconfliction” mechanism for Lebanon will be the first real test of the US-Iran negotiations, despite the Israeli government distancing itself from any US-Iran agreement that includes a withdrawal from Lebanon.
Political talks
Israel's continued occupation of southern Lebanon and its military operations have repeatedly threatened to derail regional peace efforts.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeated that Israeli forces, would remain in the south “as long as necessary”, despite the agreement signed last week by Washington and Tehran that includes “an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.
Washington, keen to end a deeply unpopular conflict amid a looming global economic downturn, has adopted a harsh tone towards its ally, repeatedly issuing public rebukes of Mr Netanyahu.
The new mechanisms, which exclude Israel, suggest a “shift in the American position,” away from an exclusively Israel-centric approach, a Western diplomat told The National. “The ceiling of Israeli demands is gradually coming down. If things continue to evolve in this direction, an immediate Israeli withdrawal could even become part of a future agreement with Iran,” he said.
“The story is not over, but Israel's maximalist position appears to be steadily shrinking,” he added.
In parallel, Lebanon has pursued a separate track through direct talks with Israel in Washington to discuss the future of ties between the two countries, seeking to separate the negotiations from the US-Iran talks. That process, however, has failed to produce a lasting ceasefire.
A fifth round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials is due to begin in Washington on Tuesday. Through these talks, Lebanese authorities will be seeking the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the country and a long-lasting end to hostilities.
For the Western diplomatic source, the direct negotiations have helped Lebanon preserve its “sovereignty.”
But they were widely criticised by Hezbollah, which is not included in the talks, as a betrayal.
The source close to Hezbollah said the group remains committed to the ceasefire – if Israel withdraws its troops. However, the source stressed that any failure by the Lebanese delegation to secure an Israeli withdrawal would “contradict the provisions” of the US-Iran understanding.
