President Joseph Aoun said after his meeting with a delegation from the Lebanese Forces that criticisms about direct negotiations with Israel do not deserve a response, because Lebanon entered into direct negotiations more than once with Israel, starting in 1949. He confirmed that he is retracting the negotiation decision I took, while insisting that all my positions include clarifications to the Lebanese people about the importance of the path we are taking, and Lebanon’s adherence to its sovereignty in all the steps we take. He added: I made a difficult choice, and the road is not paved, due to the balance of power, Israeli calculations, the Iranian-American situation, and other complications, and this choice proves the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and its right to negotiate on its own behalf, and removes it from the effects of the war that was imposed on it. Aoun asked: Why should the Lebanese people continue to pay the costs of wars that broke out at the behest of the outside and for the interests of this outside? He stressed that the framework formula would restore Lebanon's rights through diplomatic means, if Israel adheres to its provisions and their implementation succeeds. He continued: Today we have an opportunity to achieve the gains that we lost through a senseless war, especially in light of the current American momentum in interest in Lebanon and the United States’ ability to put pressure on Israel to remove the obstacles it imposes. He pointed out that matters are in the process of being resolved one by one, and all criticism targeting this path stems from the desire to return the Lebanese file as a card in the hands of Iran.