On the day that a four-day humanitarian truce was announced in the Gaza strip, following an agreement with Israel to release 50 Hamas hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Beirut. He will engage in talks with Lebanese officials and “resistance leaders,” which include Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and representatives of Palestine’s Hamas.
The timing of the visit is likely connected to the post-truce phase, with Iran overseeing operations in the region through militias aligned with it and supporting Hamas in Gaza.
It is worth noting that Hossein Amir-Abdollahian traveled to Beirut shortly after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, which led to Tel Aviv’s subsequent war on Gaza. Hezbollah had already opened the southern front, which was later presented by Nasrallah and Iran as one of the three pro-Iranian support fronts in Gaza, alongside Iraq and Yemen.
The Lebanese state and its people were notably absent during the speeches given by Nasrallah and Iranian officials afterward, who were de facto drawn into a war and an alliance they did not want.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reiterated this message upon his arrival in Beirut on Wednesday, stating as he disembarked that he had come to discuss with Lebanese authorities “ways of ensuring security in the region and recovering the rights” taken by Israel.
“We have gathered from resistance leaders in the region that they will keep their fingers on the trigger until all Palestinian rights are recovered,” he said, emphasizing that it is for the Palestinians to determine their fate once the conflict concludes.
The Iranian minister was received by Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berry at 2:30 PM in Ain el-Tineh, followed by a meeting with Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
We are inclined to note that these are formal greetings.
