Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, that Lebanon was ready to welcome any international force to replace the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) if its mandate could not be extended, warning that its departure without an alternative force being established would create a vacuum detrimental to security and stability in the region.
Aoun sets conditions for alternative international force
Aoun made the remarks during a meeting at the presidential palace with Admiral Edward Ahlgren, the British government’s senior defence adviser for the Middle East. The Lebanese president said his country welcomed any force that could replace UNIFIL if its mandate could not be extended, provided it continued implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and supported the Lebanese army in extending state authority across the southern territories up to the internationally recognised border.
Aoun warned of the consequences of failing to extend the international force’s mandate without securing an alternative, saying this would create a security vacuum, particularly as Israeli forces continue to be present in villages and towns in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese president accused Israel of refusing to implement the “framework agreement” reached during Lebanese-American-Israeli negotiations in Washington.
He said Israel was not complying with the ceasefire and continued to destroy and demolish homes, while also failing to resolve disputed points along the “Blue Line” or return Lebanese prisoners. Aoun said these Israeli practices were keeping tensions high in southern Lebanon, despite the Lebanese state’s efforts to implement the provisions of the framework agreement.
Britain renews support for Lebanese army
For his part, Admiral Edward Ahlgren renewed Britain’s support for Lebanon in various fields, particularly its support for the Lebanese army. He praised Lebanon’s official positions on recent developments, especially Aoun’s emphasis on the state’s determination to extend its sovereignty across its entire southern border and remove armed manifestations from villages where the army is deployed.
Aoun briefed the British official on the discussions at a preparatory meeting held in Paris the previous week ahead of an international conference dedicated to supporting the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces. During the meeting, Lebanon presented a report outlining the needs of the two institutions, while the Lebanese presidency said the report had received encouraging responses.
The talks also covered the economic reforms the Lebanese government is working to implement in cooperation with parliament, as well as Lebanese-Syrian relations and the level of coordination between the two countries.
