Lebanese President Joseph Aoun launched a forceful attack on Iran and Hezbollah on Friday, accusing both of exploiting Lebanon for their own strategic goals while ignoring the desires of the Lebanese people.

Speaking in an interview with CNN, Aoun said Lebanon has suffered through decades of instability and warfare driven by foreign interests, and stressed that neither Iran nor Hezbollah has the right to claim it represents the Lebanese population.

Directing his criticism at Tehran, Aoun declared, “You are not trying to help us. The people of Lebanon are paying the price for the sake of your own interest.”

He continued by emphasizing that Lebanon’s priorities differ fundamentally from those of the Iranian regime. “Our interests do not coincide with your interests,” he added.

Aoun also sharply criticized Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which for years has provided Hezbollah with funding, weapons, and support.

“It’s not your country, it’s our country,” he said.

The Lebanese president further accused Iran of using Lebanon as leverage in its diplomatic dealings with the United States. Referring to a statement issued Wednesday by the Revolutionary Guards calling for an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon as part of a broader arrangement between Washington and Tehran, Aoun rejected the idea outright.

“They are using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in their negotiation with the U.S.,” Aoun said. “It’s unacceptable.”

His comments come at a sensitive moment as a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon faces an uncertain future.

The two countries reached an accord this week intended to stop the fighting, but its implementation depends largely on Hezbollah ending its attacks and pulling its forces out of southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which did not participate in the negotiations, swiftly rejected the agreement.

Aoun also responded to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, who condemned the ceasefire as a “surrender” and argued that it lacked the backing of the Lebanese public.

Rejecting that claim, Aoun fired back: “The Lebanese people are not your people.”

According to the president, members of Lebanon’s various religious communities—including many Shiites—have repeatedly expressed frustration with the endless cycle of war and reconstruction that has defined life in the country for years.

“They deserve not seeing their homes destroyed every five to 10 years,” he said.

Aoun has made strengthening state authority and limiting Hezbollah’s military power a central goal of his presidency. Hezbollah’s influence has grown significantly over the decades, largely through support from Iran.

While acknowledging that Hezbollah remains one of the most powerful political and military organizations in Lebanon, Aoun said many citizens now want a different future—one defined by stability, national sovereignty, and freedom from conflicts fueled by outside powers.

The president also underscored the devastating human toll of the ongoing violence, noting that entire families have been lost during repeated rounds of fighting.

“They are Lebanese people,” Aoun said. “They are not Naim Qassem’s people.”

{Matzav.com}