Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam expressed support for his government's decision to disarm Hezbollah and blamed the terror group for dragging Lebanon into a wider regional war in a Sunday interview with Saudi newspaper Al-Hadath.
Salam also endorsed talks with Israel and called for the expulsion of Iranian operatives from Lebanon.
Following American and Israeli strikes on Iran at the end of February, on March 2, Hezbollah joined the war by launching a six-missile attack on Israel as supposed revenge for the assassination of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Salam blamed Hezbollah for war, destruction
When asked about Hezbollah’s entry into the war, Salam was firm in saying that the war “is not Lebanon’s choice.”
“Each of Hezbollah's six missiles cost the lives of 10,000 displaced Lebanese,” he said, condemning the Iranian-backed group for bringing the war to Lebanon.
This is a war between America, Israel, and Iran, he said, adding that Lebanon was “dragged into it” but has no “direct interest.”
“We've reached a point where we've surpassed one million registered displaced people,” he said, maintaining that the true figure could be higher.
“Buildings can be rebuilt, and villages can be rebuilt… But how can we bring back the martyrs who died, the victims who were maimed,” he said, lamenting the hundreds killed and wounded in the fighting.
PM backs disarmament and ban on Hezbollah’s armed wing
In response to questions on the implementation of government policy, Salam reaffirmed his backing for two key government measures, one adopted in August 2025, mandating Hezbollah’s disarmament, and another introduced at the start of the war, banning the group’s armed wing.
Salam said the decision in August was based on the 1989 Taif Agreement, which ended the Lebanese civil war, framing the government’s decision to order the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to monopolize arms as unavoidable and unrelated to Hezbollah’s recent actions.
“I will not yield to [Hezbollah’s] coercion,” he said, adding that “the consolidation of weapons has become more urgent,” given the cost of the conflict.
“We are committed to these decisions,” he said, adding they would take time to implement but that the government “will not back down.”
Lebanese PM highly critical of IRGC
Salam, whose government has been vocally opposed to Iranian influence in Lebanon, linked Hezbollah’s actions to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps activity.
“This is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which is present and which is carrying out the operations, unfortunately,” he said, citing a report from Iranian state media of a coordinated joint attack on Israel by Iran and Hezbollah.
Salam expressed his government’s desire to expel Iranian agents from Lebanon, but warned that identifying such agents could be a difficult task.
“These people have forged passports, they entered the country illegally, and it’s difficult to detect them, but the day they are discovered, they will definitely be stopped and deported,” he said.
Salam also broached the possibility of direct negotiations with Israel, despite a lack of recognition and a historical boycott on diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.
In recent weeks, speculation that Israel and Lebanon may enter into negotiations has mounted, and last week, French President Emmanuel Macron offered to host talks in Paris aimed at ending hostilities and finding a lasting peace.
“Negotiation doesn’t mean recognition,” Salam said, adding that Lebanon had previously entered into direct negotiations with Israel during the 1980s.
“We have expressed our readiness to negotiate,” he also said, adding that Israel had offered no response as of yet.