BEIRUT — Ahead of the uncertain visit of Morgan Ortagus, Donald Trump’s deputy special envoy to West Asia, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s anti-resistance positions have escalated, starting with renaming Resistance and Liberation Day to “Liberation Day”. In his statement during an interview with Sky News Arabia, he said, “The era of exporting the Iranian revolution is over.”

Nawaf Salam, a Sunni Muslim, seems to be unaware that Islam is not confined to any one country, and that its teachings are not limited to Muslims only. He probably doesn’t know that Lebanon’s Shiites have identified with the principles of the Islamic Revolution because it is the true embodiment of authentic Quranic and Muhammadan Islam, and not for anything else.

The founder of the Iranian Revolution, Imam Khomeini, said: “When we say ‘we must export our revolution,’ the misconception that we want to occupy countries should not come to mind. By exporting our revolution, we mean for people to awaken, free themselves from the suffering they endure, and emerge from the domination of others who plunder their resources and wealth, while they themselves live in poverty and deprivation. The goal is to revive and implement the universal provisions of Islam, and strive for everyone to enjoy prosperity, freedom, and independence.”

Salam probably ignores that the core of the values that the Islamic Revolution stands for is supporting the Palestinian Sunnis, and that all the hostile pressure and sanctions being exerted on Iran are because of supporting the Palestinians who are Sunni Muslims!

But Salam is also oblivious to the historical fact that it was the Shiites of Lebanon who “exported their revolution” to Iran in the sixteenth century. It was done by the prominent Lebanese jurist Ali al-Karaki (the great-grandfather of Sayyed Khamenei), who converted Iran from Sufism to Shiism.

Even if we were to accept, for the sake of argument, that Iran exported its revolution, when and how? At the height of its weakness, Imam Khomeini “exported” Revolutionary Guard commanders to establish a resistance front that defeated Israel and, before that, the American Marines. 

During the interview, Salam said he hopes to “change the rules of the political game in Lebanon, which has been plagued by wars,” arguing that “the current government has accomplished what previous governments failed to accomplish in ten years.” He said, “What matters to us is the trust of the people, not the satisfaction of the entourage.”

More than two months have passed since the birth of Nawaf Salam’s government, and his promises remain just on paper.

Salam’s prime ministerial statement, which pledged to “expedite the reconstruction of what was destroyed by the [U.S.-led] Israeli aggression and to remove the damage,” has so far remained unimplemented, with even no sign of taking the first steps toward reconstruction.

Salam expressed that he is a “peace seeker,” but peace with whom? With an imperialist colonial regime that has not ceased to annihilate the Palestinian people for more than seven decades, and launches daily attacks on Lebanon, violating its sovereignty?

On May 25, 2025, nearly six months after the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army radio reported that the Northern Command of the army “had begun the process of reorganizing the deployment of its forces on the border with Lebanon.” Accordingly, it was decided to redeploy “the Galilee Division (91st Division) along the entire Lebanese border with occupied Palestine,” meaning a return to the situation before the last war.

And when Salam, the former president of the International Court of Justice, pointed out that Palestine’s strength today lies not in weapons but in international recognition and diplomacy, did he not notice that “Israel” pays no attention to international laws and regulations?!

Meanwhile, Ortagus had leaked through the media and political puppets linked the U.S. surveillance den (embassy)in Beirut that Washington “will be more stringent and decisive,” especially regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah in light of reports speaking of a new American trilogy: “weapons, reform, and peace.”

Ortagus had previously threatened that “the alternative to disarming Hezbollah is war on Lebanon.”

Contrary to Salam’s positions, President Joseph Aoun continues to insist that dealing with the weapons in possession of the Resistance should not lead to any conflict; this was highly appreciated by MP Mohammad Raad, head of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc in the parliament.

At a press conference, Raad commended Aoun’s objective stance and calm approach, refusing to respond to Salam’s positions “so as not to lose what remains of our courtesy.”

Nawaf Salam is no stranger to Lebanon’s reality. While he has spent the last 15 years outside Lebanon, he appears to be influenced by his political family, which has played a negative role in Lebanese history.

Salam’s grandfather was implicated in the 1934 sale of Lake Hula (5 x 4 km², extending parallel to the Jordan River on the border with the occupied Syrian Golan Heights) to the Jewish Agency.

On the evening of May 23, 2025, amidst the brutal Israeli bombardment of Lebanon, Salam invited nearly 400 dignitaries to attend a performance of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Seemingly, Salam himself has not learned from the play’s messages.

In his greed for power, Hamlet’s father was assassinated by his brother Claudius. As a result, the Danish state was shaken, and a Norwegian prince, Fortenbras, assumed power, implicitly suggesting that a state built on treason and corruption will inevitably fall and be taken over by foreigners.

 In light of American barbarism and brutality, if Hamlet were to ask the question, “To be or not to be?” the answer would inevitably be: I am a resistance fighter, or I am killed, annihilated, lose my dignity and sovereignty, and depart from the annals of history without a single noteworthy honorable national achievement.

In light of the results of the municipal and mayoral elections, we anticipate the results of the upcoming parliamentary elections, in which Salam’s chances of underestimating the wide majority of pro-Resistance popular base will likely be slim. Next year, Salam will depart without a single noteworthy honorable national achievement!