The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants on Saturday sharply criticized recent comments by Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, denouncing them as “a blatant and unacceptable interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs.”
In a statement, the ministry said Velayati’s remarks were the latest in a series of interventions by high-ranking Iranian officials who have “persisted in making suspicious comments” on purely domestic Lebanese matters that “have nothing to do with the Islamic Republic.”
“The Lebanese state will not tolerate such practices under any circumstances,” the statement read, adding that no foreign party, “friend or foe,” would be allowed to speak on behalf of the Lebanese people or claim guardianship over the country’s sovereign decisions.
The ministry urged Tehran to “focus on the issues of its own people and work to meet their needs and aspirations, instead of interfering in matters that do not concern it.”
Reaffirming Lebanon’s independence in setting its policies and determining its political system, the ministry stressed that such decisions rest “solely with the Lebanese people, through their democratic constitutional institutions, free from interference, dictates, pressure or encroachment.”
It concluded by pledging that Lebanon “will remain steadfast in defending its sovereignty” and will respond, in line with diplomatic norms, to any attempt to undermine the authority of its decisions or incite against them.
On Friday, the Iranian news agency Mehr reported a phone conversation between Velayati and former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a close ally of Tehran, during which they discussed what they described as “American and Israeli conspiracies,” including Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah.
They vowed to oppose “these plots and prevent their objectives from coming to fruition.”
Comments