Head of Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea accuses Iran of threatening Lebanon, urges UN and Arab League to act

BEIRUT — In a sharply worded statement today, Lebanese Forces party leader Samir Geagea condemned attempts to downplay the significance of two cabinet decisions issued on 5 and 7 August, which mandate that only the Lebanese Army may possess weapons in Lebanon. He described treating these decisions “as if they never existed” as a “clear and blatant coup” against the state and its institutions.

Geagea stressed that the Lebanese government, which issued the decisions, is “100% legitimate and legal,” noting that it had won Parliament’s confidence twice in succession — first after its formation on 26 February and again during the parliamentary discussion of its ministerial statement on 16 July. He highlighted that the current Parliament was elected in the 2022 general election, “recognized by everyone as free, fair, and representative,” and that President Joseph Aoun was elected on 9 January with a majority of 99 votes, in a session presided over by Speaker Nabih Berri.

He rejected claims from certain groups that the government’s decisions lack binding authority, saying such positions reveal “a refusal to recognize Lebanon’s legitimate institutions, constitution, and even the existence of the state,” which he warned poses a serious threat to national stability.

Turning to Iran, Geagea accused Iranian officials of issuing direct threats to the Lebanese government last week in an attempt to obstruct the disarmament measures. He called these actions a breach of diplomatic norms, escalating to “incitement and threats of military intervention,” and described them as a “grave violation of Lebanese sovereignty.”

Geagea urged the government to take swift action by asking the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council to convene emergency meetings and by filing an official complaint to the UN Security Council over “Iranian threats against Lebanon.” He added, “We have never interfered in Iran’s internal affairs or questioned its dual existence of an army and a Revolutionary Guard on its territory, and we will not accept Tehran’s continued interference in our internal matters.”

He concluded by recalling the historically cordial relations between the peoples of Lebanon and Iran, urging the Iranian regime “to focus on its domestic affairs while respecting Lebanon’s independence and self-governance.”