Nawaf Abdallah Salim Salam (Arabic: نوّاف عبد الله سليم سلام; born 15 December 1953) is a Lebanese politician, diplomat, jurist and academic who has been serving as the 53rd prime minister of Lebanon since 8 February 2025.

In 1981, he left Paris to spend an academic year as a visiting scholar at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.

[22][23] Months later, the Jewish News Syndicate reported that he wrote: "Israel must stop the violence and end the occupation" and "portraying critics of Israeli policy as anti-Semites is an attempt to intimidate and discredit them, which we reject".

[27][28] Salam's appointment as President of the ICJ in February 2024 coincided directly with the first hearing on South Africa's genocide lawsuit against Israel in January 2024.

However, Mikati won again, becoming prime minister designate on 23 June 2022 with 54 votes against Salam's 28 to form a new cabinet for the remainder of President Michel Aoun's term.

[30] In the wake of the election of Joseph Aoun as president of Lebanon on 9 January 2025, multiple opposition MPs reached a consensus on nominating Salam as Prime Minister.

[31] His candidacy was supported by many Western and Arab states, who called for his nomination, against current caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati.

[34] Salam explicitly stated his intent to avoid exclusion and promote unity across the political spectrum especially since Hezbollah's parliamentary leader Mohammad Raad stated that Hezbollah "extended its hand" by helping to secure Aoun's election only to find the "hand cut off" accusing the opposition of fragmentation and exclusion from power in Lebanon.

[39] Prime Minister Nawaf Salam emphasized In his inaugural televised interview the need for comprehensive reforms in order to restore citizens' trust in the Lebanese state.

Salam also called for serious efforts toward establishing an independent judiciary, stating that without it, there can be no protection for freedoms, guarantee of rights, or encouragement of investments.

Additionally, Salam advocated for the full implementation of the Taif Agreement, particularly administrative decentralization, warning that delays have exacerbated national crises.

Addressing the financial crisis, Salam rejected any solutions that would involve writing off citizens' deposits, emphasizing the need to protect depositors' rights.

Salam was awarded in 2012 the French Legion of Honour (Légion d'honneur) at the rank of Officer (Officier) by President Nicolas Sarkozy.