Aoun warns against entangling Lebanon in war after US strikes on Iran

President Joseph Aoun said Sunday that Lebanon does not want to “pay the price of more wars” and that “there is no national interest” in joining the Israel-Iran war after the U.S. strikes on Iran’s key nuclear sites.

“Lebanon, with its leadership, parties and people, realizes today more than ever that it has preciously paid for the wars that erupted on its soil and in the region, and it does not want to pay any further and there is no national interest in that,” Aoun said.

“The cost of these wars has been and will be greater than it can bear,” the president warned.

Noting that “the bombardment of the Iranian nuclear facilities increases the fear that the tensions could spread in a manner that threatens security and stability in many areas and countries,” Aoun urged “restraint and the launch of constructive and serious negotiations to restore stability in the region’s countries and avoid further killing and destruction.”

Aoun had earlier received a phone call from Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and they discussed “the dangerous developments in the region and the possible repercussions on Lebanon.”

“They agreed to keep communication channels open between them and to jointly work to spare Lebanon these situations, put the higher national interest first, and preserve unity and national solidarity,” the National News Agency said.

Salam also held phone talks with the ministers of defense and interior and the army chief in order to “take the necessary security measures to preserve domestic stability and national security during this critical period.”

Lebanon’s new leadership, which came after Israel and the Hezbollah’s devastating war, has urged that the country avoid being dragged into more conflict as it tries to rebuild itself and pull itself from yearslong economic crisis. Hezbollah has not taken military action against Israel in solidarity with its key ally Iran in the conflict, but has not yet commented on Washington’s overnight strikes.