When the president and the foreign minister take potshots at each other from a distance, it’s ordinary Lebanese people caught in the middle who are the most unfortunate pawns in this brutal game.

Lebanese President Aoun, in an interview with CNN, condemned Iran for going against public opinion, saying that Iran uses Lebanon as a bargaining chip in the US-Israel conflict. He added that he would do whatever it takes to save the country, and that the Lebanese people have grown tired of war. Supported by Iran and well-equipped, Hezbollah claims to be a defender and has domestic backing. Iranian Foreign Minister Alirza Arakhtji rebutted, saying that Lebanon is not a bargaining chip for Iran; if it truly were a chip, an agreement would have already been reached. He urged Aoun to rescue Lebanon from the so-called hands of the “enemies.”