Lebanon's PM pushes back against Iran's offer on UN resolution

Lebanonʼs caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has firmly opposed Iranʼs recent suggestion to get involved in talks about a UN resolution concerning southern Lebanon. This resolution‚ passed roughly 18 years ago aims to keep the area near Israel free of weapons and troops not belonging to the Lebanese government

Mikati expressed surprise at Iranʼs stance‚ saying “We are surprised by this position which constitutes a blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an attempt to establish a rejected guardianship over Lebanon“ He stressed that discussing the implementation of the UN resolution is a matter for Lebanon alone

The resolution in question (known as 1701) allows UN peacekeepers to help Lebanese forces ensure southern Lebanon is weapon-free. However Israel claims this effort has failed. About two-and-a-half weeks ago‚ Israel started a ground operation in Lebanon after nearly a year of ongoing clashes with the Lebanese group Hezbollah

The UN Security Council has voiced strong concerns after several UN peacekeeping positions in southern Lebanon came under fire. In response Benjamin Netanyahu‚ Israelʼs Prime Minister told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that its time to withdraw the UN peacekeeping force

Israels UN Ambassador Danny Danon stated he wanted to see “a more robust mandate for UNIFIL to deter Hezbollah“. The current peacekeeping mission is set to continue for about 10 more months until late August 2025