Lebanon's prime minister told the United Nations General Assembly on Friday that his government can't rebuild a sovereign state while Israel occupies more than 600 square kilometres of Lebanese territory seized during the war that began after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel following the 7 October 2023 attacks. Nawaf Salam, a former International Court of Justice judge who assumed power last year, called for Israel's withdrawal from areas it illegally occupied earlier this year, following the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on 28 February.
"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 in New York City. He added that Lebanon agreed to negotiations with Israel mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The Security Picture
Salam's remarks came as Lebanon grapples with the consequences of Hezbollah's decision to open a northern front against Israel. 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 had to flee their homes. In June, the Times of Israel reported that since the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel, Israel has seized more than 1,000 square kilometres across Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, and "has no plans to withdraw".
"We want the ceasefire consolidated. We want 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 Resolution 1701. We want 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," Salam said.
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". It's a tacit acknowledgment that Lebanon's sovereignty has been compromised by an Iranian proxy force operating as a state within a state.
"The success of any agreement is measured not by declared intentions but by fulfilment of commitments," Salam said. "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."
Iraq's Economic Pivot
Iraq's Ali al-Zaidi, a relatively young and politically untested businessman who assumed power earlier this year, struck a markedly different tone. His remarks focused on wide-ranging governance reforms, cracking down on corruption, and urging international economic 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 told the General Assembly on Friday.
Zaidi's General Assembly remarks echoed those he delivered at the Iraqi American Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC, in July. Iraq, he noted, 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.
Consolidating State Authority
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," he said. "Our ambition 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". "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."
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 can't build a unified, sovereign Lebanon unless Israel withdraws from the areas it illegally occupied earlier this year.
Why This Matters:
Lebanon's predicament illustrates the security vacuum created when non-state actors like Hezbollah operate as Iranian proxies within sovereign borders. Salam's call for weapons to be held "by the state alone" acknowledges what Israel has argued for years: that Lebanon's government doesn't control its own territory. Without dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure, any Israeli withdrawal risks recreating the conditions that led to the current conflict. Iraq's pivot toward economic diversification and consolidation of weapons from Iran-backed militias shows a path toward genuine sovereignty — one that requires confronting Tehran's influence, not accommodating it. Zaidi's focus on investment and infrastructure reflects a recognition that stability comes from state authority, not militia power. The contrast between the two leaders' speeches underscores a broader regional question: whether Middle Eastern governments will assert control over Iranian proxy forces or remain hostage to Tehran's strategic ambitions.