Lebanese Prime Minister Nawwaf Salam affirmed that "since its formation, the Lebanese government has had to mobilize all regional and international forces to pressure for a halt to Israeli violations and to work toward a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and the release of Lebanese detainees."

In an interview for Al Mayadeen Online, he acknowledged that opening channels for diplomacy and political dialogue in this area “was not effective,” adding, however, “We have not exhausted diplomatic and political means; perhaps it will take more time later, but this is our primary option today, and I do not see any alternatives.”

In an exclusive interview for #AlMayadeen Online, Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed his government’s commitment to pursuing diplomatic and political efforts, despite admitting their ineffectiveness, to end Israeli violations by air, sea, and land on #Lebanon,… pic.twitter.com/2zytNV19Pf

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 23, 2025

In the interview, Salam discussed the ongoing Israeli attacks, the contentious issue of negotiations, and the nation's complex relationships with Arab nations and Iran.

Meanwhile, the prime minister affirmed Lebanon's full commitment and adherence to: UN Resolution 1701 and its full implementation, last November's cessation of hostilities declaration, the provisions of the president's oath of office, the Ministerial Statement, and the Taif Agreement.

Salam responds to US envoy's remarks

The Lebanese prime minister responded to remarks by US envoy Tom Barrack, who spoke about scrapping all previously adopted mechanisms and said that Lebanon has no choice but to negotiate, by stating, "He has his rules today, and we have our constants upon which we will operate."

PM Salam argued that there is a "balance of power; just as there is a military balance of power, there is a political and diplomatic one, and if relying on it were not effective, people would not have gone to the United Nations, would not have sought the issuance of the recent New York Declaration which increased the number of countries recognizing Palestine, and would not have gone to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court."

He added that these efforts do not yield results overnight, but he believes the shift in public opinion is also translating into the stances of nations, as seen in the number of countries that have recently recognized Palestine.

"We are also working in parallel to mobilize all diplomatic and political efforts to compel Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, release our detainees, and stop its violations of our sovereignty," Salam asserted.

The Lebanese prime minister affirmed that "Israel" has not adhered to the ceasefire agreement, while Lebanon has not undertaken any military action against "Israel" during this entire period, but he clarified that the agreement not only stipulates a "cessation of hostilities" between the two parties. He explained that its preamble also includes a clear reference to the necessity of the state restricting arms to its authority and explicitly lists the six forces authorized to bear weapons: the Lebanese Army, the Internal Security Forces, State Security, General Security, Customs, and Municipalities.

The prime minister noted that while this step remains incomplete, the process has been initiated, describing it as "a fundamentally Lebanese demand and an integral part of the Taif Agreement."

Lebanon and 'Israel' are in a war of attrition

Prime Minister Nawwaf Salam confirmed that Lebanon has begun discussing "Israel's" implementation of the agreement.

"We are in a war today, yet it takes the form of a war of attrition that fluctuates in intensity from one day to the next, and we are doing everything to prevent this war from escalating, striving to reverse the equation and work toward "Israel's" withdrawal and the cessation of its assaults," he asserted.

Lebanese Prime Minister #NawafSalam told #AlMayadeen Online that Lebanon is already in a state of war, yet in the form of a "war of attrition."

"On some days, the intensity rises, on others, it wanes," he explained, stressing that the Lebanese government is focused on… pic.twitter.com/uHbj8fd5GO

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 23, 2025

The Lebanese PM emphasized to Al Mayadeen Online the collective nature of the government's duty, emphasizing that this is not Lebanon's struggle alone but a shared endeavor with its Arab brothers and international partners. He characterized it as a major, ongoing diplomatic battle that will not be resolved in a matter of days, though he was also clear that this does not mean they can accept a process that takes decades.

Furthermore, Salam outlined to Al Mayadeen Online the existing framework for dialogue, stating, "The mechanism is part of the April 27 agreement; we are part of this mechanism, and this is the framework within which we can negotiate, where we, the French, the Americans, and the Israelis meet in a tripartite format with the United Nations."

Responding to a question about indirect negotiations, Salam stated that they are "not a new thing," adding that the existing tripartite framework with the United Nations and the mechanism framework are suitable for negotiations, but the disagreement lies over what exactly is being negotiated. He affirmed that Lebanon will not renegotiate the principles of Resolution 1701, a full Israeli withdrawal, the release of detainees, or a ceasefire, but is willing to discuss their implementation.

He further emphasized that "no one is rejecting the idea of negotiations, but there has got to be a power that props up these negotiations."

The prime minister also affirmed that internal unity is Lebanon's primary strength and that being united allows the Lebanese to negotiate with "Israel" from a position of power, which is why they insist on a UN presence to represent international law, a crucial asset for the weaker party that must be bolstered by mobilizing allies to shape the overall balance of power.

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Normalization comes after peace after 'Israel' fulfills its obligations

When asked about refusing direct negotiations with the Israeli entity, the Lebanese Prime Minister told Al Mayadeen Online, "Until further notice, this is not on our agenda. Everything depends on the circumstances... we are not playing the stock market."

He added, "The talk about normalization follows the peace process. As far as we're concerned with peace, we are committed to the Arab Peace Initiative, endorsed at the Beirut Summit in 2002. That’s what we are committed to, and all Arab states are committed to it."

In an interview for #AlMayadeen Online, Lebanese Prime Minister #NawafSalam affirmed Lebanon’s commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative when asked about the possibility of Lebanon normalizing ties with "Israel".

Salam emphasized that the Arab Peace Initiative, with its conditions… pic.twitter.com/3sDXiC0ZWe

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 23, 2025

"Normalization comes afterward. If the Arab Peace Initiative is implemented, and Israel withdraws from the territories it occupied in 1967, and a Palestinian state is established with East al-Quds as its capital, then we can discuss what comes next," he continued, before adding, "We are far from that [at this point]."

"Do we support the peace process? Indeed, and it’s called the Arab Peace Initiative. People ask, 'Are you with peace?' It's called the Arab Peace Initiative, approved in Beirut, but it has conditions, it has rules," Salam added.

As such, the prime minister laid out the core conditions of the Arab Peace Initiative, stating that peace is contingent on recognizing Palestinian statehood with [East] al-Quds as its capital and a full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories.

He affirmed that only after a just peace, based on these principles, is achieved can the subsequent issue of normalization even be considered, a point he described as still very distant. Addressing the advocates of normalization, Salam stated, "To anyone calling for normalization, we say: great, but let us first go back to and implement the Arab Peace Initiative."

Addressing the issue of Hezbollah's disarmament, Prime Minister Salam told Al Mayadeen Online, "Some speak of disarming, withdrawing, or handing over weapons; I have not used these terms. I use the language of the Taif Agreement: extending the state's authority. In my view, the Lebanese state must be capable of extending its authority over all Lebanese territories with its own forces, and I specify, exclusively with its own forces."

Were it not for Hezbollah’s sacrifices, national resistance, South Lebanon would not have been liberated

Salam also addressed the role of the Lebanese Resistance in liberating South Lebanon from the Israeli occupation, admitting that were it not for “the Lebanese Resistance, Israel would not have withdrawn in 2000.” 

He clarified that while Hezbollah became at the vanguard of the Lebanese Resistance throughout most of its years, “today, I don’t think that is still the case.”

He added, “I will repeat this: anyone who does not value Hezbollah’s role in liberating Lebanon is not being truthful. Without the sacrifices of Hezbollah and the Lebanese national Resistance in general - before and alongside Hezbollah - the South [South Lebanon] would not have been liberated.”

In an interview for #AlMayadeen Online, Lebanese Prime Minister #NawafSalam affirmed that "without the Lebanese Resistance, Israel would not have withdrawn from South Lebanon in 2000," emphasizing Hezbollah’s leading role in the liberation alongside other Resistance factions.… pic.twitter.com/PUEZPAILoB

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 23, 2025

“I firmly hold this conviction,” he asserted, adding, however, that “Lebanon should not be burdened beyond its capacity.”

“I believe that what was called the Support Front placed Lebanon under too much strain,” he said, adding, “After we celebrated the liberation, we found ourselves with a number of occupied Lebanese villages and tens of thousands of people whose homes were destroyed and who were displaced,” making no mention of “Israel’s” greedy ambitions for the region.

He affirmed that Hezbollah is “a key Lebanese political party” and that “there is always a connection, and my door is open to them. There is ongoing contact between us,” emphasizing that reconstruction is not linked to disarmament.

Lebanon’s ties with Arab nations

Regarding Lebanon’s relationship with Arab countries, he said that he took it upon himself to have Lebanon back to its friendly relations with “its Arab brothers.” 

“We worked on restoring Lebanon’s relations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and all other countries, and we took Lebanon back into the fold of the Arab world,” he said, expressing his hope that the Arabs now return to Lebanon. 

In response to a question about the main reason behind Saudi Arabia’s negative stance toward Lebanon, the Lebanese PM said, “I don’t like to call it a negative stance. How can it be, when they are working with France to prepare a conference supporting the army and security forces?”

According to Salam, the goal with partners in Saudi Arabia is to lift travel restrictions for Saudis visiting Lebanon and the ban on Lebanese exports.

Relations with Iran and Syria

Regarding relations with Iran, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawwaf Salam said, “It is important for us to have the best possible relations with Iran, but they must be based on mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs.”

Salam highlighted that the same applies to Lebanese-Syrian relations, saying, “I told the Syrian counterparts, as well as President al-Sharaa, that it is important for us to turn a page from the past. Lebanon suffered greatly from Syrian interference in its affairs, and I know that you also suffered from Lebanese interference in yours.”

“This is a page we need to close in order to build new relations based on non-interference in each other’s affairs and mutual respect for our policies,” he asserted.

Salam explained that the situation nowadays along the Lebanese-Syrian border is much better in terms of controlling smuggling, particularly drugs, noting the presence of a joint Lebanese-Syrian operations room addressing this issue. 

On the issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons, he said the details of who could be released immediately and who might require treaties or judicial procedures have been discussed.

Parliamentary elections on schedule

Lebanon’s prime minister confirmed that the parliamentary elections will take place as scheduled, vowing that he will neither participate in the elections nor will he intervene, whether directly or indirectly.