The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that any settlement related to the US-Iranian agreement must clearly include Lebanon, reiterating Paris’s position calling for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory and not using the Lebanese arena in regional conflicts.
In statements to Al-Arabiya channel, the French Foreign Ministry stressed that the agreement between Washington and Tehran literally stipulates that Lebanon be included in the proposed understandings, which reflects the connection of the Lebanese file to the current regional arrangements.
Paris also called on Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory, considering that Lebanon’s stability requires respecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity and implementing the obligations associated with the ceasefire.
In a remarkable position, the French Foreign Ministry affirmed that “Hezbollah should not be a tool in the hands of Iran,” indicating the need to neutralize the Lebanese arena from regional tensions and strengthen the role of the Lebanese state and its institutions.
These statements come as the ceasefire agreement enters into force, and after a bloody day that witnessed a widespread Israeli escalation and intense raids on several areas in the south and the Bekaa.
The French position reflects the continued European involvement in efforts aimed at establishing calm in Lebanon, in parallel with American efforts aimed at transforming the current understandings into more sustainable arrangements in the long term.
Paris also affirms its adherence to an approach based on supporting the Lebanese state, ending military tensions, and preventing any escalation that might threaten stability in Lebanon and the region.
