Lebanon’s ex-president: Iran’s victory proves that resistance only way to restore rights

Former Lebanese President Emile Lahoud has hailed Iran’s decisive victory against the United States and Israel, declaring that it has proven resistance is the sole effective way for nations to reclaim their legitimate rights.

Lahoud made the remarks following an incident in Washington on Wednesday, when a Lebanese military delegation refused to participate in a commemorative photo alongside an Israeli delegation during talks.

Hezbollah has strongly criticized the negotiations, demanding the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.

In a statement, Lahoud congratulated the Lebanese Army Commander and the military delegation for their honorable stance in withdrawing to avoid being photographed with the Israeli side.

He urged the entire delegation to pull out of the talks, emphasizing that Israel has repeatedly shown it has no genuine interest in a ceasefire, peace, or ending hostilities.

“Israel’s real goal is to score political points and undermine Lebanon’s firm and steadfast position through futile negotiations aimed at sowing internal division among the Lebanese people,” Lahoud said.

“But this will not succeed. That era has passed, even if Israel occasionally finds some support from within Lebanon itself.”

The former president highlighted the resilience of the resistance: “Despite the killing and destruction in the south, the heroes of the resistance continued to hunt down the enemy. Through its strategic victory, Iran has forced the United States—and Israel behind it—to accept a new reality in which rights are restored to their rightful owners, a development the world had not witnessed for decades.”

Lahoud concluded that “the only solution with this enemy is confrontation and steadfastness. Anything else is falling into the Israeli trap.”

Iran and the United States began indirect negotiations in Switzerland under Pakistani and Qatari mediation.

Hezbollah chief: Israel will have to leave Lebanon 'humiliated, defeated'

The Hezbollah leader says Israel must end its military operations by land, air and sea and fully withdraw from Lebanese territory.

The high-level talks, which started on Sunday and lasted 18 hours, focused on implementing commitments outlined in the Pakistan-mediated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last week by the Iranian and American presidents.

The diplomatic effort aims to end the cycle of aggression triggered by the latest unprovoked US-Israeli assault on the Islamic Republic between February 28 and April 7, which ended with a ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump in the face of Iran’s powerful retaliation.

As part of the MoU, Iran has insisted on a full cessation of aggression on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 4,175 people, wounded 12,164 others, and displaced more than one million residents, according to Lebanese authorities.

Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon, including areas it has held for decades and additional territory seized during the 2023–2024 war.

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