Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who arrived Thursday in Beirut, met Friday with President Joseph Aoun and Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji.
During the meetings, FM Rajji asked his counterpart if Iran would accept an illegal armed organization on its territories. FM Araghchi said that Iran supports Hezbollah as a resistance movement but does not interfere in its decisions.
Rajji called on Iran to engage in talks with Lebanon to find "a new approach to the issue of Hezbollah's weapons, drawing on Iran's relationship with the party, so that these weapons do not become a pretext for weakening Lebanon.” He warned that a sovereign state, capable of defending its territory and its population, cannot be built as long as an armed organization operates outside its authority.
Addressing the reconstruction issue, Rajji explained that the delays stem from two main factors: first, the widespread belief that the war has not yet truly ended, and second, the fact that countries capable of assisting Lebanon have made their support conditional on disarmament.
Araghchi later met with President Aoun, who said that Lebanon is ready to strengthen economic and trade ties and is keen to establish the best possible relations with Iran based on mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s affairs.
FM Araghchi also met with Lebanon’s Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and the accompanying delegation at Ain Al-Tina. The meeting dealt with breaking developments and the general situation in Lebanon.
In a press release following the meeting, FM Araghchi said, "The policy of the Republic of Iran is based on full support for Lebanon's independence, national unity, territorial integrity, and support for prosperity and development. We wish to establish the best relations with Lebanon at all levels.” He described the meetings as “positive and constructive talks.”
Referring to Iran's domestic situation, Mr. Araghchi compared the current demonstrations in Iran to the protest movement that Lebanon experienced in 2019, believing that the increase in the cost of foreign currency is a common factor. He said that the Iranian authorities have begun a dialogue with the various components of society to try to solve the difficulties.
Araghchi's visit comes as Lebanon's army announced it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani River. He said the "primary objective" of his two-day trip was to consult with officials about the "serious challenges and threats" facing the region "by the Zionist regime," referring to Israel.
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