Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam: ‘Lebanon is on a new path’, calls for end to foreign influence

BEIRUT — Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has declared an end to the spread of the Iranian revolution in Lebanon. In an interview with Sky Arabia, Salam, a Sunni leader and long-time advocate for Palestinian rights, emphasized that the world has grown weary of the geopolitical conflict between the United States and Iran. He stated, “The era of exporting revolutions is over, and Lebanon will chart its own path by re-engaging with the Arab world.” 

For decades, Iran-backed Hezbollah has wielded significant control over Lebanon’s politics and war agendas. However, Salam asserted that his government will no longer remain silent about weapons outside the authority of the state. Regarding arms held by Palestinian factions in Lebanon’s refugee camps, Salam was unequivocal: these weapons no longer serve the Palestinian cause and risk inciting internal strife among Palestinians or with Lebanese factions. He stressed that the Palestinian cause today is advanced not through arms but through the growing recognition of the Palestinian state by nations worldwide, mass demonstrations in support of Palestine across Europe and the United States, and international resolutions through the United Nations.

قال رئيس الحكومة اللبنانية #نواف_سلام إن عهد تصدير الثورة الإيرانية قد ولّى،
وخلال مقابلة خاصة مع سكاي نيوز عربية أعرب سلام عن أمله في التوصل لاتفاق نووي#سكاي_خاص ⁣#لبنان ⁣#عماد_الدين_أديب pic.twitter.com/BUI4AhwJnt

— سكاي نيوز عربية (@skynewsarabia) May 27, 2025

Addressing criticism from Samir Geagea, the Syriac Maronite leader of the Lebanese Forces, that Salam is insufficiently aligned with Western policies and is thus obstructing Lebanon’s path to peace, Salam responded firmly. He described himself as “100% Arab” and committed to achieving sustainable peace through the Arab Peace Initiative, adopted in Beirut and endorsed by the Arab League in 2002. Salam stated, “We support a peace that ensures the Palestinian people receive their legitimate rights — a state with Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return for refugees, as outlined by UN resolutions.” He also indirectly addressed Geagea’s remarks by affirming that such peace would naturally include an accord with Israel.

On the Taif Agreement of 1989, which ended Lebanon’s civil war, disarmed militias, and established the framework for the current political system, Salam criticized its partial and selective implementation. He noted that this failure has crippled Lebanon’s political process over the past five decades. Salam outlined his government’s commitment to fully implementing the agreement, including key unfulfilled provisions: establishing a constitutional council, expanding administrative decentralization, and ensuring judicial independence. “We must complete the implementation of what has not yet been achieved,” he stated. 

Salam expressed confidence that these efforts would help rebuild trust among the Lebanese people, the international community, allied nations, and investors. He emphasized that his government has begun to “steer the country in a new direction” and is working tirelessly to restore public confidence in the state.