"The New York Confrontation": Lebanon Negotiates in Its Own Name

A political analysis arguing that Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam carried to the United Nations podium a core position: that "no one speaks or negotiates on behalf of Lebanon except the Lebanese state," a challenge Lebanon faces amid continued Iranian interference through Hezbollah, which ties its decisions to Tehran rather than the state. The article notes that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conveyed to New York conditions for resuming stalled talks with Washington, including a halt to fighting on all fronts including Lebanon, and an Iranian proposal to revive the memorandum of understanding by reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for conditions publicly rejected by the US president. Diplomats widely expect the US-Iran crisis to continue into next year, while Lebanon fears the cost of waiting could be steep and that regional settlements may come at its expense.