Berri: Government's resignation is out of the question
"The government's resignation is out of the question. The severity of the exceptional circumstances Lebanon is experiencing requires all parties to demonstrate the highest level of responsibility and wisdom," the speaker of the house emphasized in an interview with the Lebanese daily al-Joumhouria.
The cabinet's project "will fail"
His comments come as the government faces criticism from Hezbollah for its decision last Tuesday and Thursday to disarm the group and other armed groups in Lebanon by the end of the year. The decision sparked fierce reactions throughout the past week from representatives and supporters of the Amal-Hezbollah duo, as well as angry protests in different regions of Lebanon.
Hezbollah MP Ihab Hamadeh stated that "what the government has done is an affront to the national pact," believing that "the people will bring it [the government] down and it will not last until the next parliamentary elections." He also stressed that "the resistance will not give up its weapons," stating that Salam's Cabinet initiative "will fail."
Hezbollah has already launched several attacks against the government's decision. The most recent came from the vice president of the party's political council, Mahmoud Qomati, who escalated his rhetoric Monday, emphasizing that it would be impossible to disarm the party "without blood being shed" and accusing the Cabinet of having "sold out" the country."
It is against this troubled backdrop that the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, is expected Wednesday in Lebanon.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ya Libnan
2 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
No armed groups allowed in Lebanon, president Aoun tells Hezbollah's ally Iran
By Jana Choukeir and Ahmed Elimam Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, in this handout image released on August 13, 2025. Lebanese Presidency Press Office/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. BEIRUT – No group in Lebanon is permitted to bear arms or rely on foreign backing, its president told a visiting senior Iranian official on Wednesday after the cabinet approved the goals of a U.S.-backed roadmap to disarm the Iran-aligned Hezbollah group. During a meeting in Beirut with Ali Larijani , secretary of Iran's top security body, Joseph Aoun warned against foreign interference in Lebanon's internal affairs, saying the country was open to cooperation with Iran but only within the bounds of national sovereignty and mutual respect. Larijani said the Islamic Republic supports Lebanon's sovereignty and does not interfere in its decision-making. 'Any decision taken by the Lebanese government in consultation with the resistance is respected by us,' he said after separate talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, whose Amal movement is an ally of Hezbollah and Iran. By 'resistance', Larijani was alluding to the Shi'ite Muslim militant Hezbollah, which was founded in 1982, grew into a 'state-within-a-state' force better armed than the Lebanese army and has repeatedly fought Israel over the decades without consulting top Lebanese officials . 'Iran didn't bring any plan to Lebanon, the U.S. did. Those intervening in Lebanese affairs are those dictating plans and deadlines', said Larijani. He said Lebanon should not 'mix its enemies with its friends – your enemy is Israel, your friend is the resistance'. 'I recommend to Lebanon to always appreciate the value of resistance.' The U.S. submitted a plan through President Donald Trump's envoy to the region, Tom Barrack, setting out the most detailed steps yet for disarming Hezbollah, which has rejected mounting calls to disarm since its devastating war with Israel last year. Hezbollah has rejected repeated calls to relinquish its weaponry although it was seriously weakened in the war, with Israel killing most of its leadership in airstrikes and bombings and thousands of its fighters . It was the climax of a conflict that began in October 2023 when the group opened fire at Israeli positions along Lebanon's southern frontier in support of its Palestinian Islamist ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza war. Aoun also said recent remarks by some Iranian officials had not been helpful, and reaffirmed that the Lebanese state and its armed forces were solely responsible for protecting all citizens. Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran supported any decision Hezbollah makes, adding that this was not the first attempt to strip the group of its weapons. (Reuters)
MTV Lebanon
2 hours ago
- MTV Lebanon
Larijani vows support for Lebanon during visit
Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani pledged Tehran's continued support for Lebanon, telling reporters upon arrival at the airport: 'We will stand by the dear people of Lebanon in all circumstances.' Larijani said he was scheduled to hold several meetings with Lebanese officials, including the President, Speaker of Parliament, and the Prime Minister, adding that Iran 'always seeks to serve Lebanon's highest interests.' Representing Speaker Nabih Berri Khalil Hamdan, a member of the Political Bureau of the Amal Movement, welcomed Larijani, stating: 'Welcome to Lebanon, which harbors the sincerest feelings of brotherhood and friendship toward the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has always stood by Lebanon and its people in the most difficult times.' Hamdan stressed that Lebanon was facing hardships, pressures, and daily aggressions by the Israeli enemy, adding: 'We deeply value your visit as an expression of your support and solidarity with your Lebanese brothers.'
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Larijani arrives in Beirut: We will always strive to defend Lebanon's interests
Arriving early Wednesday in Beirut, Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, declared from Rafik Hariri International Airport (RHIA) that Iran intends to always "defend Lebanon's supreme interests." This Iranian envoy's visit comes as Iran has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the Lebanese government's decision to disarm Hezbollah, which is supported by Tehran. Speaking from the airport's VIP lounge, where he was received by a representative of the Foreign Ministry, Rodrigue Khoury, along with delegations from the Shiite Amal movement, Hezbollah, the Palestinian movement Hamas and Islamic Jihad, according to the Al-Manar channel, emphasized that Iran "will support the Lebanese people under any circumstances." "We will strive to defend Lebanon's supreme interests," he said. Khalil Hamdan, the representative of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and a leader within the Amal movement, expressed in a speech that Iran "has always been by the side of Lebanon and its people in the most difficult times and toughest trials." Recalling the "daily aggressions" by Israel against Lebanon, he said he appreciated the visit of the Iranian envoy, which he saw as a sign of "support and solidarity." ' Khosh amadid, ahla w sahla' Dozens of Hezbollah supporters greeted the Iranian official's convoy as it arrived at the airport. Banners were put up, including portraits of Larijani and Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with the words "Khosh amadid, ahla w sahla," meaning "welcome" in Persian and Arabic. Protesters also held a banner declaring that Hezbollah will not give up its weapons, "even if humans and jinn unite," an expression derived from the Quran, according to images from our photojournalist on the ground, Mohammad Yassin. Larijani was then received at 11 a.m. in Baabda by President Joseph Aoun. He is also expected to meet with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at Ain al-Tineh at noon and with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail at 6 p.m. The Iranian official will also meet Lebanese spiritual and political leaders, as well as Lebanese and Palestinian parliamentary, political, and partisan figures at 4:30 p.m. at the Iranian embassy. Larijani's visit to Beirut coincides with several key dates and the visits of other envoys, primarily U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who will be accompanied by his predecessor, Morgan Ortagus. France is also preparing for a visit by its envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, as part of arrangements for an international conference to support Lebanon's reconstruction. Other reports mention a planned visit by the Saudi envoy Yazid bin Farhan.
