Iran's Security Chief to visit Lebanon amid Hezbollah disarmament tensions
According to Iranian state media, Larijani's visit marks his first foreign trip since taking office last week. In Iraq, he is set to sign a bilateral security agreement before continuing to Lebanon for meetings with senior government officials and influential figures.
Larijani addressed the visit's goals prior to departure, stating, 'Our cooperation with the Lebanese government is long and deep. We consult on various regional issues. In this particular context, we are talking to Lebanese officials and influential figures in Lebanon.'
He emphasized Iran's commitment to Lebanon's sovereignty and stability, saying, 'In Lebanon, our positions are already clear. Lebanese national unity is important and must be preserved in all circumstances. Lebanon's independence is still important to us and we will contribute to it.'
The visit comes amid strong Iranian opposition to Beirut's recent decision to disarm Hezbollah, a stance condemned by Lebanon as 'flagrant and unacceptable interference.' On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei framed Larijani's trip as 'aim[ing] to contribute to the maintenance of peace in the Middle East region.'
Baqaei reaffirmed Iran's support for Lebanon's 'right to defend itself against the aggression of the Zionist regime,' adding that this defense 'would be impossible without military capabilities and weapons.'
Hezbollah, which played a major role in resisting 'Israel's' occupation of southern Lebanon until 2000, remains more heavily armed than the Lebanese army.
Iranian senior advisor Ali Akbar Velayati condemned the disarmament plan on Saturday, calling it compliance 'to the will of the United States and Israel.'
Larijani's appointment at the Supreme National Security Council came shortly after a 12-day war between 'Israel' and Iran in June, triggered by an unprecedented 'Israeli' strike on Iranian military and nuclear sites. The council, which sets Iran's defense and security policies, operates under the authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Jordan Times
38 minutes ago
- Jordan Times
Lebanon president tells Iran security chief he 'rejects all interference'
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told Iran's visiting security chief on Wednesday that he rejected any interference in the country's internal affairs, branding as "unconstructive" Iran's statements on plans to disarm Hizbollah. Iran's Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Larijani's visit to Lebanon comes after the Lebanese government ordered the army to devise plans to disarm the Tehran-backed militant group Hizbollah. Following his arrival in Beirut, Larijani vowed that his government would continue to provide support, after it expressed opposition to the disarmament plan. "We reject any interference in our internal affairs," Aoun said, adding that "it is forbidden for anyone... to bear arms and to use foreign backing as leverage," according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency posted on X. Iran and its so-called "axis of resistance" have suffered a series of blows in their long-running rivalry with Israel. Iran and Israel went to war in June, with the United States stepping in briefly to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. Hizbollah suffered devastating losses in a year of hostilities with Israel that ended with a November 2024 ceasefire. A month later, Syria's president Bashar al-Assad was ousted, depriving Hizbollah of its main conduit for weapons and supplies from Iran. Iran has declared its firm opposition to the Lebanese government's bid to disarm Hizbollah, while the movement itself has slammed the decision as a "grave sin". Weakening grip Before the war with Israel, Hizbollah was believed to be better armed than the Lebanese military. It long maintained it had to keep its arsenal in order to defend Lebanon from attack, but critics accused it of using its weapons for political leverage. In Beirut, Larijani vowed continued support. "If... the Lebanese people are suffering, we in Iran will also feel this pain and we will stand by the dear people of Lebanon in all circumstances," Larijani told reporters. As well as President Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Larijani was due to meet parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who is close to Hizbollah. Hizbollah's grip on power has slipped since the ceasefire with Israel and the new Lebanese government, backed by the United States, has moved to further restrain it. Iran's "axis of resistance" is a network of armed groups in the region, including Hamas in Gaza and Yemen's Huthi rebels, united in their opposition to Israel.
Roya News
2 hours ago
- Roya News
‘How I Met Your Mother' star Cristin Milioti urges fans to join protest against 'Israeli' war crimes
American actress Cristin Milioti, best known for her role as Tracy McConnell in the popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother, took to her Instagram story to share a call-to-action for an emergency mass march in New York City, demanding an end to 'Israel's' war crimes and the US's role in enabling them. The post, originally shared by organizers from the ANSWER Coalition, announces the protest will be held on Saturday, August 16, at 2 PM (GMT-4) on the steps of the New York Public Library in Bryant Park. The callout condemns what it describes as the 'US-Israeli blockade of Gaza' for creating a 'devastating hunger crisis' that is killing Palestinians through starvation and malnutrition. It also accuses US President Donald Trump of greenlighting what it calls Israel's 'starvation regime' and denounces US-backed entities for 'weaponizing hunger' rather than ending it. The statement further alleges that Washington is now working with 'Israel' to condition aid on its plans for 'full occupation' of Gaza. 'Now is the time to take to the streets,' the post urges, calling for a united front from 'people from all walks of life' to stand against genocide and stop the 'US-funded, Israeli famine'. Milioti's public endorsement adds her name to a growing list of actors, musicians, and public figures who have used their platforms to express solidarity with Gaza and call out Israeli policies.
Roya News
3 hours ago
- Roya News
European powers threaten to reinstate sanctions on Iran
Britain, France, and Germany have formally warned that they will move to restore United Nations sanctions on Iran's nuclear program if no diplomatic breakthrough is reached by the end of August. The joint stance was laid out in a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council, released Wednesday. The three European governments, known collectively as the E3, stressed they remain 'committed to use all diplomatic tools at our disposal to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon.' 'Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons under any circumstances,' French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot posted on X, sharing the letter publicly. L'Iran ne peut en aucun cas accéder à l'arme nucléaire. Si l'Iran persiste à violer ses obligations internationales, la France et ses partenaires allemand et britannique réenclencheront fin août les embargos mondiaux sur les armes, les équipements nucléaires et les restrictions… — Jean-Noël Barrot (@jnbarrot) August 13, 2025 He added that if Tehran continues breaching its commitments, the E3 would reinstate 'the global embargoes on arms, nuclear equipment and banking restrictions that were lifted 10 years ago at the end of August.' The letter warns that the E3 are prepared to trigger the 'snapback mechanism', a provision of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that allows any signatory to restore Security Council sanctions if Iran fails to comply. That mechanism, part of a deal involving the United States, China, and Russia, aimed to limit Iran's uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. The warning follows a sharp deterioration in relations after a 12-day war in June between 'Israel' and Iran, during which 'Israel' targeted Iranian nuclear facilities. The US carried out separate airstrikes during the hostilities. In response, Tehran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), cutting off inspectors' access to its nuclear sites. The IAEA's deputy chief is expected in Tehran soon for talks on a possible new cooperation agreement. E3 officials accuse Iran of multiple violations, including stockpiling more than 40 times the amount of enriched uranium allowed under the JCPOA. They also rejected Iran's claim that the Europeans have no legal right to reimpose UN sanctions. 'We are equally ready, and have unambiguous legal grounds, to notify the significant non-performance of JCPOA commitments by Iran … thereby triggering the snapback mechanism, should no satisfactory solution be reached by the end of August 2025,' the ministers wrote. While the US began indirect nuclear talks with Iran earlier this year, the June strikes effectively froze those channels. Iran continues to deny it is seeking nuclear weapons. The JCPOA is set to formally expire in October, raising fears that a failure to reach an agreement by the summer deadline could trigger a return to the sweeping UN sanctions regime that was lifted a decade ago.
