Iran to Remain Lebanon’s Friend in Hard Times

During an official visit to Beirut, Amirabdollahian held a meeting with a group of Lebanese elites as well as political, cultural, media, academic and social figures on Friday.

The session was attended by a large group of Lebanese figures from various ethnicities in the country, including the labor and culture ministers, a former foreign minister, the head of the International Union of Clerics Supporting Resistance, the chairman of the Assembly of Muslim Scholars in Lebanon and some lawmakers, among others.

At the beginning of the event, a number of the participants presented their views on ties between Iran and Lebanon.

The Iranian foreign minister then took the podium and explained Iran’s views on the domestic issues of Lebanon, bilateral ties, and regional as well as international topics.

Amirabdollahian said Iran will remain a friend of Lebanon in difficult times.

Commenting on his meetings with senior officials during the visit to Beirut, he said he held good talks with the Lebanese foreign minister, prime minister, parliament speaker and the secretary general of Hezbollah.

Amirabdollahian said he also discussed the latest developments in Palestine and the occupied territories in a meeting with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.

He added, “The visit to Lebanon was a good opportunity for exchanges of opinions on the prospect of ties between the two countries. We believe that the Lebanese side is competent enough to elect a president for the country without any foreign interference.”

“We know that Lebanon is suffering from economic problems and shortages of fuel and energy. We are ready to cooperate with Lebanon in the fields of economy, trade and energy,” he said, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.

“We also discussed the ongoing processes of talks in the region. Iranian President Ebrahim  Raisi’s approach is based on the balanced foreign policy doctrine, and our priority in pursuing this policy is to focus on the neighbors and the region,” Amirabdollahian said.

Commenting on the developments in Yemen, the Iranian foreign minister said it is necessary to end the war in Yemen and pave the way for Yemeni-Yemeni talks.

On the Ukraine war, the top Iranian diplomat said Iran strongly believes that the conflict in Ukraine must end and the warring sides should pursue dialogue.

Amirabdollahian also enumerated Iran’s principled views on the developments in Afghanistan and Tehran’s efforts in support of the neighboring country’s people and the formation of an all-inclusive government there.

He also highlighted the United States’ destructive policies in the West Asia region, saying, “In the era of the 33-day war, there was talk of the ‘New’ Middle East, then the ‘Great’ Middle East, and then the ‘Greater’ Middle East. The major objective of those conspiracies was to uproot the resistance; however, based on the accurate information we possess, the resistance is today in its best shape in Lebanon and Palestine.”

“Just as we supported the Shiite resistance, we also supported the Sunni resistance in Lebanon and Syria and will continue to do so,” the top diplomat said.

On Iran-Lebanon relations, Amirabdollahian said, “We hope that the political process in Lebanon will be completed with the election of a president and formation of a new government, and that the stage will be set for a promotion of bilateral ties and a visit by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Lebanon.”