US Vice President J.D. Vance responded to an open letter from Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, stating Washington views President Joseph Aoun and the Lebanese government as the country's sole legitimate authority. Vance added that U.S. talks with Iran regarding Lebanon are meant to ensure Tehran pressures Hezbollah to uphold its obligations, not to grant Iran a role in shaping Lebanon's future.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance has formally replied to an open letter from Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, reaffirming Washington's position that the Lebanese state — under President Joseph Aoun and the government — is the sole legitimate authority in the country. The response, published by Geagea's party on Tuesday afternoon, states that the U.S. intends to work with the Lebanese state to enable it to defend its sovereignty and establish its lawful authority.
Vance addressed concerns over U.S.-Iran talks concerning Lebanon, emphasizing that the purpose of the dialogue is not to grant Tehran a role in shaping Lebanon's future or influencing its decisions. Instead, he wrote, the aim is to ensure that Iran pressures Hezbollah to adhere to the commitments and obligations placed upon it. The letter follows Geagea's original open letter to Vance earlier this week, in which the Lebanese Forces leader urged the U.S. to back the sovereign Lebanese state over Hezbollah and permanently exclude Iran from Lebanese affairs.
The exchange represents a significant public signal of U.S. alignment with the Lebanese Forces' vision, and comes amid broader U.S.-led regional talks that have touched on the northern front. As The Zioneer reported earlier Tuesday, Geagea published the correspondence with Vance's reply. The U.S. has also made similar statements in recent days, with Vance saying Monday that Israeli officials have no territorial ambitions in Lebanon and that Israeli forces there are limited to preventing fire on Israel.
Geagea's original letter and Vance's response have not been independently verified beyond Geagea's publication, but they are consistent with the administration's public messaging. The Lebanese Forces leader himself commented after publishing the reply: 'I wasn't convinced,' suggesting the response did not fully satisfy his expectations.
2 developments
- DevelopingLebanese Forces leader Geagea writes to US Vice President Vance urging support for Lebanese state over Hezbollah
- StrongVice President Vance: US expects Hezbollah not to fire, Israel not to 'run wild' in Lebanon
- DevelopingVance says Israelis ‘very clear’ they have no territorial ambitions in Lebanon
- StrongLebanese President Aoun insists no settlement will be made at Lebanon's expense
Source and signal
- Internal intake