PM Salam says Iran rejected ceasefire to show it still holds control over Lebanon

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Iran's rejection of a proposed ceasefire agreement with Israel was intended to demonstrate that the ultimate decision-making authority in Lebanon remains in Tehran.

According to an interview published by the British newspaper The Times, Salam said Iran's refusal of the ceasefire deal "did not come out of nowhere," arguing that Tehran wanted to send a message to the international community that Lebanon remains a card in its hands and that it alone determines the country's fate.

Salam said the Iranian rejection, which came before Hezbollah announced its official position on the proposal, underscored the extent of Tehran's influence over the group and highlighted its close ties to Iran.

"If this rejection indicates anything, it is the degree of control exercised by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, not only over Hezbollah's military and security wings, but also over the party's decision-making process itself," Salam said.

The Lebanese premier distinguished the current relationship between Hezbollah and Iran and that which existed under the late Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. He said Nasrallah had been deeply involved in decision-making and had maintained a degree of relative independence.

According to Salam, Iran now exerts direct and decisive influence over Hezbollah to an unprecedented extent.

He also stressed that the Lebanese state is the only entity capable of mobilizing the resources needed to rebuild the destruction caused by the war. Reconstruction, he said, can only be carried out through state institutions, just as Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory can only be achieved through negotiations conducted by the Lebanese state.

Despite the ongoing conflict and challenges facing the country, Salam expressed cautious optimism about Lebanon's future.

"I am not pessimistic at all. I can say that I am optimistic, but I am not naive," he said.

Salam added that he still believes Lebanon possesses enormous potential and that there is no alternative to pursuing serious reforms if the country is to restore the authority and effectiveness of the state.