1. Home
2. War in the Middle East
3. Larijani… Go Home

Alright, perhaps the title is a bit harsh for a nation known for its legendary hospitality. But Ali Larijani’s visit — as the advisor to Supreme Leader Khamenei — feels a bit like those uninvited guests who show up for dinner and overstay their welcome long after you’re ready to call it a night.

That being said, if Larijani arrives bearing humanitarian aid and suitcases brimming with cash — let’s say at least $5 billion to start rebuilding the tens of thousands of homes destroyed due to his country's successive strategic blunders — then perhaps the 1.5 million internally displaced people, who have lost everything, might greet him with open arms.

But let’s be honest, that’s a big “if.” If Larijani, who’s also making a pit stop in Damascus — which, purely coincidentally, was hit by intense Israeli airstrikes on Thursday night — has come to encourage the Lebanese to keep serving as cannon fodder for the glory of the mullah, then frankly, he can save his warmongering rhetoric for his colleagues in Tehran.

To be fair, Larijani isn’t one of the hardliners (though, admittedly, the difference between hawks from doves in the Persian Empire isn’t exactly glaring). His bid in the last presidential election was rejected due to a lack of revolutionary zeal. And, ironically, that might actually work in his favor here.

However, the last thing the Lebanese people need right now is yet another call to continue fighting valiantly bloody conflicts that have been bleeding their country dry. The tactic is starting to feel a bit too transparent. Iran will undeniably play a significant role in negotiating Lebanon’s future, whether we like it or not. It’s imperative that Lebanese leaders meeting with Larijani clearly convey that Lebanon does not wish to remain an inflamed appendage of the Islamic Republic. Instead, we could happily offer a generous dose of symbolic and moral support the day his country embarks on a war.

And here’s a little tidbit: Larijani has been a member of Iran’s… Council of discernment since 2020. Yes, it’s a real thing. Let’s hope he brings along some tips from this council on the fine art of discernment — a quality his country seems to sorely lack.