Iran rejected on Monday Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s accusations claiming that the Islamic Republic was interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs, as stated by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf in an interview with Le Figaro.
“Iran has never intended to interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs and has never acted in such a manner,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei during his weekly press briefing.
“We are in discussions with any country proposing initiatives to stop the crimes and aggression against Lebanon, as well as the genocide in Gaza,” he added.
Baghaei suggested that the remarks attributed to Mohammad Ghalibaf were a “misunderstanding” and defended Iran’s stance by stating, “Iran considers the steps to end the Zionist genocide against Gaza and Lebanon as a humanitarian, moral, and Islamic duty.”
He emphasized that Tehran would continue consultations to stop the war and welcomed all efforts aimed at achieving this goal.
He further stressed that “the best way to reach a political solution in Lebanon remains an inter-Lebanese dialogue,” which Hezbollah and its Shiite ally Amal consider a precondition for electing a new head of state.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed outrage on Thursday over the Iranian parliament speaker’s comments during an interview with Le Figaro.
Mikati instructed caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib to summon the Iranian representative to officially protest.
“We are surprised by this stance, which constitutes blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an attempt to impose guardianship over Lebanon—a position we strongly reject,” Mikati remarked.
This marked the first time Mikati, who generally maintains good relations with Hezbollah, had taken such a strong position.
In his interview with Le Figaro, Mohammad Ghalibaf mentioned that Tehran was ready to discuss implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 with Paris.
This resolution calls for Hezbollah’s withdrawal to the north of the Litani River and the deployment of Lebanese and UNIFIL forces along the southern border.
Following heavy losses from Israeli airstrikes that decimated Hezbollah’s command structure, Iranian officials have increased their visits to Lebanon and issued statements encouraging the group to continue its fight with Israel. Ghalibaf claimed that Israel was “multiplying its losses on the ground.”
Meanwhile, Iran has ramped up diplomatic efforts, with its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi embarking on several visits to the region to promote ceasefires in both Lebanon and Gaza. According to Baghaei, Araghchi is scheduled to visit Bahrain and Kuwait soon.
“We are pleased to see that all the countries in the region, like us, have reached a level of maturity where the preservation of peace in the region is a shared responsibility,” Baghaei concluded regarding the diplomatic visits.
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