Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji has appealed to Gulf states to support Lebanon’s efforts to restore its sovereignty, alongside demands for a complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory. He also called for ongoing attacks to stop and for UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to be implemented in full.
Addressing the 22nd Manama Dialogue, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Rajji linked the restoration of state authority to Lebanon’s stability and its relations with Arab countries. His remarks at the gathering were reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency.
Rajji said the country had begun taking steps to reassert state control under President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. He pointed to government decisions intended to bring all weapons under state authority and prohibit Hezbollah’s military and security activities, presenting those measures as part of that effort.
During a session focused on the Eastern Mediterranean, the minister said Lebanese territory would no longer be allowed to serve as a threat to the security of other Arab countries. He also rejected its use as a bargaining tool in negotiations taking place outside Lebanon’s borders.
Rajji expressed solidarity with Bahrain and other Gulf states against what he described as Iranian attacks and attacks by armed groups associated with Tehran. He rejected infringements on those countries’ sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, placing those concerns alongside his appeal for support for Lebanon.
The minister warned against countries advancing regional ambitions through armed organisations that operate beyond state control. Lebanon, he said, had suffered devastating consequences from such groups being used to extend foreign influence. He said Lebanese people had borne a heavy cost from “wars they had never chosen to fight”.
Turning to maritime security, Rajji raised concerns about the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea. He argued that Gulf security was inseparable from developments in the Red Sea, whose security he also connected closely to that of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Rajji called for a comprehensive Arab strategic partnership to respond to regional challenges. His proposed approach centred on strong, sovereign states, with legitimate national institutions holding sole authority to decide matters of war and peace.
