The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi, called on Saturday the Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who the day before had asked Tehran to stop “intervening” in his country's affairs, and told him that Lebanon must be “saved”, in fact, from its “true enemy”, Israel.
“From Mr. Aoun's statements, one would think that it is Iran that has occupied a fifth of Lebanon's territory, displaced a quarter of the Lebanese population and is bombing his country daily,” Abbas Araghchi wrote on the X network, referring to Israel without naming it.
“If Lebanon was a bargaining chip for Iran, we would have reached an agreement a long time ago. Save Lebanon from its real enemy, Mr. President,” he added.
On Friday, President Aoun called on Iran to stop “intervention” in Lebanese affairs, in the context of the failure of a new truce announced by Washington between Israel and the Islamist movement Hezbollah, supported by Tehran, reports News.ro.
“It is not your country, but ours (…) You have no right to intervene in our country”, declared President Joseph Aoun addressing Iran, at the same time urging Hezbollah to choose the diplomatic path.
The head of state is facing the reluctance of the movement and part of the Lebanese population since the launch of direct negotiations with Israel, for the first time in several decades. The two countries do not maintain diplomatic relations.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in turn urged Iran to stop using his country as a “means of pressure” in talks with the United States.
Tehran is demanding that any agreement with Washington to end the war, triggered on February 28 by an Israeli-American bombing campaign, include an end to hostilities on the Lebanese front, with the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
In early March, Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into war, attacking Israel to avenge the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the Israeli-American strike.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon have caused more than 3,560 deaths since the beginning of the conflict, according to the latest balance sheet of the authorities. As for the Israeli side, 27 soldiers and one civilian employee were killed in Lebanon.
