Geagea: FPM open to Hezbollah war ‘anywhere’ for local gains

Samir Geagea, the head of the Lebanese Forces party, has declared his opposition to compromising Lebanon’s sovereignty to benefit Iran amidst ongoing conflicts between Hezbollah and Israeli forces along the border, now in its fifth month.

In an interview with Kuwait’s al-Rai newspaper, published on Monday, Geagea emphasized, “We firmly reject the loss of even a speck of Lebanese territory to any external force. However, we equally oppose the notion of sacrificing southern Lebanon or entangling the nation in a significant conflict to advance Iran’s regional ambitions.”

He suggested that deploying the Lebanese military in the southern region would safeguard Lebanon and prevent it from falling into perilous situations.

Geagea also criticized former President Michel Aoun and Jebran Bassil, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, accusing them of opposing Hezbollah solely because it did not meet their domestic demands.

He cynically remarked, “If Hezbollah had fulfilled their desires, they would readily endorse Lebanon’s involvement in wars far beyond its borders, even as far as Tanzania, under the pretext of defending a Lebanese community against threats like the Islamic State group.”