Leader Of Lebanon’s Largest Christian Party Begs Trump/Vance To Change Terms Of Iran Deal

In a letter addressed to Vice President JD Vance on Monday, the leader of the Lebanese Forces, the largest Christian party in Lebanon, asked that the United States support the Lebanese state in extending full authority over all of its territory, restrict weapons to legitimate institutions, and end Hezbollah’s military and security presence.

Samir Geagea’s letter came after reports that a new Lebanon mechanism emerging from U.S.-Iran talks would include Iran, Qatar, and Pakistan, while excluding Israel and limiting Israeli responses to threats from Lebanon. The reported framework would allow Israel to respond only to “imminent threats,” rather than the broader “emerging threats” standard included in the 2024 mechanism, according to The Times of Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back on the report, saying the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) faced “no restrictions” in Lebanon.

Geagea said the greatest contribution the United States could make at this stage would be to support the Lebanese state as the sole national authority and not as a matter to be negotiated with Iran. Geagea also asked for assurances that any negotiations over Lebanon go through the Lebanese state alone. That, Geagea argued, would be the most meaningful step for Lebanon’s Christians and all Lebanese citizens because it would open the door to a sovereign state capable of providing security, stability, and prosperity.

The Lebanese Christian leader said he reviewed Vance’s statement on Iran with “interest and appreciation.” He said the vice president’s remarks reflected “genuine friendship and profound concern” not only for Lebanese Christians, but for Lebanon as a whole.

Geagea framed Lebanon’s Christians as a stabilizing force in the country’s modern history, describing them as committed to openness, moderation, freedom, and cultural life in a region marked by instability. He argued that Lebanon’s pluralism, public freedoms, and open system have long made the country distinct in the Middle East.

But Geagea said the last four decades have been especially difficult for Lebanese Christians and other Lebanese citizens because of Hezbollah’s rise as a military and security organization. He accused Hezbollah of usurping national decision-making, weakening legitimate institutions, blocking the formation of an effective state, and dragging Lebanon into conflicts tied to Iranian agendas rather than Lebanese interests.

The impact, he wrote, has been economic decline, fewer job opportunities, and the emigration of many Lebanese, including a significant number of Christians seeking safety, stability, and a dignified life.

Geagea’s warning comes as the IDF has accused Hezbollah operatives of using Christian areas as cover. Earlier this month, the IDF said dozens of Hezbollah members were hiding inside a Christian neighborhood in the coastal city of Tyre, an area that had not been included in a previous evacuation warning.

Lt. Col. Ella Waweya, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokeswoman, said the military had issued an evacuation warning for parts of Tyre because of Hezbollah activity and alleged violations of the ceasefire agreement, but said that warning did not include the city’s Christian neighborhood.

According to Waweya, the IDF later identified activity by dozens of Hezbollah operatives inside that Christian neighborhood.

“This is not the first time we have exposed Hezbollah activity from within Christian areas, based on its belief that these areas provide it with a safer refuge,” Waweya said.

She called on residents to “demand the removal of the terror organization’s operatives from your areas,” and warned Hezbollah members that they were “not safe there.” If they continued operating from inside the area, she said, the IDF would issue evacuation instructions for the Christian neighborhood and take action against them.

The IDF’s allegation adds weight to the concern Geagea raised in his letter: that Hezbollah’s military presence has weakened the Lebanese state and exposed Lebanese civilians, including Christians, to instability and danger.

Geagea closed by thanking Vance again for his concern and said he hoped the United States would remain a key partner in helping Lebanon reclaim its role as a model of freedom, pluralism, and peace in the Middle East.