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From the Liveblog of
Friday, June 5, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Friday, June 5, 2026
Lebanese president: Iran using Lebanon as ‘bargaining chip’ in negotiations with US
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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, speaks during a joint press conference with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Chistodoulides , at the presidential palace in Baabda east of Beirut, Lebanon, November. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun tells CNN that Iran is using Lebanon as a “bargaining chip” in its negotiations with the United States.
Aoun says in a message to the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that “it’s not your country, it’s our country.”
Aoun has repeatedly sought to distance Lebanon from regional conflicts and has said decisions concerning the country’s sovereignty and security must be made by the Lebanese state alone.
“Our house is being destroyed. [Iran is] using Lebanon as a bargaining chip in their negotiations with the United States. It is unacceptable,” he says.
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