Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told the United Nations General Assembly on Friday that his government cannot build a unified, sovereign state unless Israel withdraws from the areas it illegally occupied earlier this year, following the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on 28 February. Israeli forces now occupy more than 600 square kilometres of Lebanese territory along its northern border — part of more than 1,000 square kilometres Israel has seized across Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria since the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, according to a June report by the Times of Israel. Israel "has no plans to withdraw," the report said.
The Humanitarian Toll
Israeli forces have killed nearly 9,000 Lebanese since 2023, after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel for its onslaught in Gaza. More than one million Lebanese in the south have also had to flee their homes. "Recovering the land does not mean only the withdrawal of occupying forces. It also means the return of its inhabitants and the revival of life in their villages and towns," Salam said in New York City. "The war has left behind a vast humanitarian crisis in Lebanon."
Salam, a former judge at the International Court of Justice and a former diplomat who assumed power last year, said Lebanon agreed to negotiations with Israel being mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. But he insisted that success isn't measured by declared intentions. "What is required today, therefore, is to complete the translation of this framework into practical steps within a clear timetable and with a verification mechanism that ensures the implementation of all its provisions," he said.
Sovereignty and State Authority
"Lebanon is affected by developments in its surroundings. That does not mean, however, that we accept its becoming once again an arena for the conflicts of others or a bargaining chip in their hands," Salam told the General Assembly. "Lebanon's future will not be decided on its behalf, nor may its security and stability become the price of settlements concluded in its absence." He called for Israel to withdraw "from our Lebanese territory up to our internationally recognised borders in accordance with the 1949 General Armistice Agreement and as affirmed by [UN] Resolution 1701." He also demanded "the release of all our detainees, the safe and dignified return of our people to their villages and towns, and the reconstruction of what the war has destroyed."
In reference to Hezbollah's Iran-financed military power, Lebanon's prime minister said his government must extend its authority via its national forces "over the entirety of its territory, with weapons held by the state alone." Salam also called for increased UN and international aid, adding that Lebanon has done its part to earn it. "We are shouldering our responsibility for reform... We are entitled to ask the international community to shoulder, in turn, its responsibility to ensure respect for Lebanon's sovereignty."
Iraq's Economic Vision
Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, a relatively young and politically untested businessman who assumed power earlier this year, struck a different tone at the General Assembly on Friday, focusing on economic diversification and foreign investment. "Here, from the United Nations, we say to the world: Invest with Iraq. Iraq has resources, markets, a good location, and the necessary will to build a new economy," he said. His remarks echoed those he delivered at the Iraqi American Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC, in July.
Iraq aims to reduce reliance on a rentier economy by expanding private-sector activity, production, exports, infrastructure, and investment across energy, industry, agriculture, transport, and technology sectors. Since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the country's oil revenues — which make up some 90 percent of its state budget — end up in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Baghdad requires US approval for literal stacks of cash to be flown into the country. Zaidi, a former banker, is keen on repositioning Iraq as a stable and economically viable state for foreign direct investment. To that end, his government has prioritised a crackdown on corruption, and in particular, a consolidation of weapons from Iran-backed militias in the country.
"With the end of the international coalition's mission in Iraq, we are moving our relationship with our strategic partners to a new phase, moving from military cooperation to economic and development cooperation in service of our common interests," Zaidi said. "Our government is adopting an ambitious programme to increase the production of crude oil in a manner consistent with the size of our proven reserves. Our government is also working to develop gas fields and expand refining capacities and our capacities to produce derivatives." His ambition, he said, is "for Iraq to be a global hub for energy production and to leverage its potential to promote regional and international security and stability."
Zaidi touted the developing energy corridor linking Iraq with Turkey, Jordan, and Syria, calling it "a vital gateway" to Europe. "Economic interests create prosperity," he said. "When the countries of the region are connected through ports, railways, power lines, trade, and investment, they have a greater interest in preserving stability." Without naming the US-Israeli war on Iran that has upended the region for the last seven months, he expressed "concern" for the "maritime navigation... crisis."
Both leaders were deemed friendly to Washington. While their mandates have focused on strengthening the power of the state and promoting an independent judiciary, Salam indicated that his government's path forward depends on the withdrawal of foreign forces and the return of displaced civilians. "Iraq's vision is based on contributing to the region's transition from conflict to integration, from competition to cooperation, from resource depletion to investment in development," Zaidi said. "We extend our hands to everyone on the basis of respect for sovereignty, non-interference, good neighbourliness, strengthening mutual interests, and adopting dialogue as a means to address differences."
Why This Matters:
The contrasting priorities of Iraq and Lebanon at the UN General Assembly reveal the uneven impact of regional conflict on state-building efforts. Lebanon's government can't consolidate authority or rebuild while more than 600 square kilometres of its territory remain under Israeli occupation and more than one million of its citizens remain displaced. The humanitarian crisis — nearly 9,000 killed, entire villages emptied — isn't a backdrop to diplomacy; it's the central obstacle to sovereignty. Iraq's focus on economic diversification and foreign investment reflects a different challenge: transitioning from military dependence to economic viability while managing Iran-backed militias and US financial oversight. Both cases illustrate how occupation, displacement, and external interference undermine the ability of states to govern, rebuild, and protect their populations — even when their leaders are willing partners in reform.