Iran Determined to Preserve Ties with Lebanon

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Beirut on Tuesday, Araqchi said he is going to hold talks with senior Lebanese officials after a fruitful visit to Egypt.

Highlighting the place of neighbors and West Asian countries in Iran’s foreign policy, Araqchi said the age-old relations between Iran and Lebanon have been based upon friendship and mutual respect.

“We are resolved to continue the relations between the two countries according to mutual respect and interests,” the foreign minister stated.

He also emphasized the importance of protection of Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity for the entire region, saying Iran will keep supporting Lebanon against the Zionist regime’s acts of occupation.

Iran’s backing for a friend like Lebanon does not by any means translate into interference in the domestic affairs of Lebanon, Araqchi stressed, adding, “No country in the region has a right to interfere in the internal affairs of the other regional countries.”

Pointing to plans for meetings with Lebanon’s president and foreign minister, Araqchi expressed hope that the new conditions in the region and Lebanon would open a new chapter in the respectful relations between Tehran and Beirut on the basis of mutual respect.