Lebanese foreign minister urges Gulf states to help restore country's sovereignty

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji has called on Gulf states to assist in restoring the country's sovereignty. At the 22nd Manama Dialogue, Rajji urged the Gulf nations to support Lebanon in ending Israeli occupation, halting ongoing attacks, and fully implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Rajji stated that restoring state authority is crucial to Lebanon's stability and its relationships with Arab countries.

He noted that Lebanon, under President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, is working towards reasserting state control, including placing all weapons under state authority and prohibiting Hezbollah's military and security operations. Rajji emphasized that Lebanon will no longer permit its territory to be utilized against the security of its Arab neighbors or as a bargaining tool in negotiations beyond its borders.

The minister also reaffirmed Lebanon's solidarity with Bahrain and other Gulf states in countering Iranian attacks and those orchestrated by armed groups affiliated with Tehran, rejecting any infringement on their sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. Rajji cautioned against enabling countries to advance regional interests through armed groups operating outside state authority, emphasizing that Lebanon has suffered greatly from the detrimental effects of such organizations being employed as instruments of foreign influence.

Additionally, he raised concerns about maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Red Sea, arguing that Gulf security must be linked to developments in the Red Sea, which is intimately connected to the Eastern Mediterranean's security. Rajji advocated for a comprehensive Arab strategic partnership to tackle regional challenges, emphasizing the importance of strong and sovereign states with exclusive authority over decisions of war and peace.