Lebanese PM Salam: Lebanon seeks a “new page” with Iran — accepts the meeting requested by Pezeshkian

Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, said on Sunday that his country seeks to open a “new page” in relations with Iran, based on mutual respect and non-interference, as Al Jazeera reports in its liveblog on the U.S.–Iran war. The statements were made in an interview with the Lebanese broadcaster NBN, relayed by the prime minister’s office on the X platform.

Salam revealed that he has accepted a meeting requested by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Asked whether Lebanon had ever supported an Iranian opposition faction or interfered in Iran’s internal affairs, the prime minister replied: “We do not interfere in Iran’s affairs.”

Referring to diplomatic representation, Salam said Lebanon would prefer Iran to appoint a new ambassador, as this would ease the transition to a new phase in relations. He added that the Lebanese authorities renewed the Iranian ambassador’s residence permit for three months “as a citizen,” but not in his previous diplomatic capacity.

The prime minister also stressed that Beirut cannot “sit and wait” for an agreement between the U.S. and Iran. “If it happens, good. And if it doesn’t happen, should we keep sitting and waiting?” he said, adding that the state cannot remain in a state of waiting. Salam repeated that Lebanon’s objective remains Israel’s full withdrawal from Lebanese territory, an end to the attacks, consolidation of the ceasefire and the release of prisoners.