Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned Wednesday that Lebanon must not be drawn into a “new war,” as tensions mount over the possibility of a U.S. strike on Iran ahead of nuclear talks in Geneva.

Speaking at a Ramadan iftar at the Grand Serail in Beirut, Salam said the country had already paid a heavy price in recent conflict and could not afford another round of fighting.

“It has been an extraordinary year in terms of events and challenges. Lebanon has emerged from a devastating war, yet Israeli attacks continue,” he said. “It is in no way in our interest, and we will not accept that Lebanon be dragged into an adventure or a new war.”

His comments come amid concerns that any military escalation between Washington and Tehran could spill into Lebanon through Hezbollah.

Salam stressed that consolidating State control over weapons remains central to his government’s agenda. He said the Lebanese Armed Forces are prepared to carry out the second phase of a national plan to place all arms under State authority within four months, provided they receive adequate support and resources.

“The army can accomplish this mission in four months if it is given everything it needs,” he said, pledging that the government would ensure the military has the necessary means and would work to secure broad political and public backing for the effort.

The prime minister noted that the army completed the first phase of the plan south of the Litani River, marking what he described as the first time since 1969 that the military had regained full operational control in that area. The next phase is expected to extend northward toward the Awali River within a four-month timeframe.

Salam also condemned the continued Israeli strikes on Lebanese territory, underscoring the fragility of the security situation.

Beyond the security file, Salam signaled a recalibration of Lebanon’s regional relationships. He said his government is seeking to redefine ties with neighboring Syria on the basis of “mutual trust and respect,” arguing that the two countries’ historic interconnection should serve as a source of strength rather than a pretext for interference in domestic affairs.

He added that restoring relations with Arab states has been a core priority, describing Arab political support and investment as vital to Lebanon’s stability and economic recovery. Lebanon, he said, is determined not to become “an arena for regional conflicts.”

Reflecting on his government’s first year in office, Salam acknowledged the scale of the challenges it inherited.

“For decades, a culture of impunity, looting of public funds and lack of accountability prevailed,” he said, arguing that this legacy eroded trust in the state among citizens, Arab partners and the wider international community.

While conceding that his administration has not performed “miracles,” Salam said it had laid the groundwork to reverse what he described as a trajectory toward total state collapse. 

“What we have achieved may not fulfill all our ambitions or those of the Lebanese people, but the essential point is that we have put the country on the path toward rebuilding the State and its institutions and restoring the confidence of our citizens.”