Lebanon 'can do without' Iran support after 'Gaza adventure' failure, PM says

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who had visited earlier this month several war-hit southern cities and towns, said that the state has returned to south Lebanon "to stay".

He vowed, in a televised interview Thursday, to visit the south again and to secure all means of subsistence for its residents.

Salam warned Hezbollah against supporting Iran in the event of a war with the U.S., blaming the group for previously triggering a war with Israel in support of Gaza. "We can do without support for Iran. We need years to recover from the consequences of the 'Gaza Support' adventure — and if only it had actually supported Gaza," he sarcastically said.

Salam said he and President Joseph Aoun share the same goal and vision but have a different approach. He added that "there is cooperation between the parliament and the government." "My relationship with Speaker Nabih Berri is governed by these principles," he said.