Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Iran of using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in its confrontation with the United States and Israel. At the same time, Tehran rejected these allegations through its foreign minister, who said that if Lebanon really were a bargaining chip in Iran's hands, an agreement would have been reached a long time ago.
In an interview with the US network CNN, Aoun addressed Iran's Revolutionary Guard, saying: "It is not your country, it is our country".
He added, "You are not trying to help us. It is the Lebanese who are paying the price for your own interests, and our interests do not coincide with yours."
Aoun stressed that he is committed to doing whatever it takes to prevent Lebanon from sliding into further escalation, insisting that Lebanese people are fed up with the repeated wars between Israel and Hezbollah, which enjoys Iranian backing and wields considerable influence inside the country.
"We are tired and we want to live in peace," he said, adding that the Lebanese deserve to live with dignity, and do not deserve to see their homes destroyed every five or 10 years.
