On Thursday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. During the meeting, Salam reportedly conveyed a clear message that Lebanon does not wish to be an arena for regional wars. The discussion comes amid heightened concerns regarding the stability of the region and the influence of external powers on Lebanese domestic affairs.

Lebanon has frequently expressed concerns regarding Iranian influence, with some officials alleging that Tehran utilizes Lebanon as a "bargaining chip" in its ongoing diplomatic negotiations with the United States. While the meeting served as a formal diplomatic engagement, it highlights the ongoing friction between Lebanon’s desire for sovereignty and the geopolitical realities of Iranian involvement in the country’s political and security landscape. The statement released by Salam’s office emphasized the need to protect Lebanon from becoming a proxy battlefield, though the specific response from President Pezeshkian was not detailed in the initial reports.