Peloni: The change of rhetoric in Lebanon can not be mistaken for a change in capabilities. Even if we take Aoun at his word, which could only be done by foolishly ignoring the long history of Lebanese commitments regarding disarming Hezbollah in the past, it doesn’t change the reality of Lebanon’s demographics, which is also represented in the Lebanese Armed Forces, in which the Lebanese Shiite community has a large representation. Notably, amid reports that even the Shiite commuity in Lebanon has turned against Hezbollah, this has yet to be demonstrated in any way material beyond verbal assertions. Israel can not afford to be forced from Lebanon under the hollow promises of “peace once more”. Israel should maintain its presence in Lebanon, and Aoun should demonstrate his authority by disarming Hezbollah in what remains of Lebanon presumably under his control. Of course, he might first start by demonstrating that he has the ability to even evict the Ambassador of Iran, whose remaining presence in Lebanon is all that is needed to demonstrate the lack of capabilities of the Lebanon president to enforce the will of the Lebanese rather than that of the Iranian regime.
We Want To Live In Peace And Not Die In Iran’s Wars
By: Steven Stalinsky, Ph.D. | MEMRI | June 11, 2026
Secretary Marco Rubio meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in New York City, New York, September 22, 2025. Photo by U.S. Department of State – Flickr, Public Domain, Wikipedia
“The only flag of the Lebanese people is the flag of Lebanon”[1]; “[Iran is] using Lebanon and Hizbullah mainly as a bargaining chip”; “It’s not the country [of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards], it’s our country”[2]; “A traitor is someone who takes his country to war in pursuit of external interests”[3]—These are some of the strong statements made by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in recent months against Hizbullah and its patron Iran, reflecting a significant hardening of his position.
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