Latest news with #Ali Larijani
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lebanon moves toward disarming Hezbollah as Aoun rejects Iranian intervention
During a meeting in Beirut with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's top security body, Aoun warned against foreign interference in Lebanon's internal affairs. No group in Lebanon is permitted to bear arms or rely on foreign backing, President Joseph Aoun told a senior Iranian official on Wednesday, days after the cabinet approved the objectives of a US-backed roadmap to disarm the Iran-aligned Hezbollah terrorist group. During a meeting in Beirut with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's top security body,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. 'Lebanon, which respects the sovereignty of other nations, including Iran, will not accept interference in its internal affairs,' he said. "The friendship we seek with Iran must be with all Lebanese, not through one sect or component alone," Aoun said, according to a statement from his office. Larijani saidthe 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. 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. "Iran didn't bring any plan to Lebanon, the US 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 US 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. 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 added that recent language used by some Iranian officials had not been helpful, and reaffirmed that the Lebanese state and its armed forces were solely responsible for safeguarding 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. Lebanese cabinet approves US-proposal for disarming Hezbollah Lebanon's information minister said the cabinet had approved on Thursday only the objectives of a US proposal for disarming Hezbollah by the end of the year, along with ending Israel's military operations in the country, but they did not discuss the full details of it. The plan, submitted by US President Donald Trump's envoy to the region, Tom Barrack, sets out the most detailed steps yet for disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has rejected mounting calls to disarm since last year's war with Israel, according to a copy of a Lebanese cabinet agenda reviewed by Reuters. This is a developing story. Solve the daily Crossword
LBCI
5 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
PM Salam to Ali Larijani: Lebanon will not tolerate interference in internal affairs
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Wednesday reaffirmed Lebanon's rejection of any form of foreign interference in its internal affairs, calling on Iran to commit 'clearly and explicitly' to this principle. Speaking during a meeting in Beirut with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and his accompanying delegation, Salam stressed that decisions made by the Lebanese government 'are not to be subject to discussion in any other country,' adding that the seat of decision-making lies with the Council of Ministers and that 'Lebanon's decisions are made solely by the Lebanese people, who do not accept guardianship or dictates from anyone.' Salam underscored that any relationship with Lebanon must pass exclusively through its constitutional institutions, 'not through any political party or parallel channel.' He said foreign assistance is welcome provided it is delivered through official channels. 'Lebanon is a small country that has long suffered from the interference of others,' Salam said. 'It is time to turn this page. The people of Lebanon know their own affairs best, and Lebanon will not accept being used as a platform to settle scores or as an arena for regional messages.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
5 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
No Armed Groups Allowed in Lebanon, President Tells Hezbollah's Ally Iran
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 US-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. By "resistance", Larijani was alluding to 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. "Iran didn't bring any plan to Lebanon, the US 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." Later on Wednesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said after meeting Larijani that recent remarks on Lebanon by Iranian officials including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were totally rejected by his government. He said the comments constituted a "violation" of the principle of mutual state sovereignty. Last week, Araghchi said Tehran supported any decision Hezbollah made and this was not the first attempt to strip the group of its arsenal. Ali Akbar Velayati, top adviser to Iran's supreme leader, also criticized the Lebanese government's move on disarmament. "If Hezbollah lays down its weapons, who will defend the lives, property, and honor of the Lebanese?" he said. The US 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. 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 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.
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Lebanon warns against foreign meddling as Iran security chief visits
BEIRUT, Aug 14 — Lebanese leaders firmly rejected any efforts at foreign interference during a visit by Iran's security chief Wednesday, with the prime minister saying Beirut would 'tolerate neither tutelage nor diktat' after Tehran voiced opposition to plans to disarm Hezbollah. The uncharacteristically blunt remarks hinted at a changed balance of power in a country where Iran has long wielded substantial influence by funding and arming Hezbollah. The visit by Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Larijani comes after the Lebanese government ordered the army to devise plans to disarm the Tehran-backed group by the end of the year. Last week, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader had said the Islamic republic was 'certainly opposed' to the disarmament plan. 'We reject any interference in our internal affairs,' Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday, adding that 'it is forbidden for anyone… to bear arms and to use foreign backing as leverage', according to a statement from his office. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam was equally firm, saying in a statement: 'Lebanon will not accept, in any form, any interference in its internal affairs, and expects from the Iranian side a clear and explicit commitment to respect these principles.' Hezbollah has been a key part of Tehran's so-called axis of resistance against Israel, but Iran and its allies have suffered a series of blows. Hezbollah experienced devastating losses, including the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah, over more than a year of hostilities with Israel that ended with a November 2024 ceasefire. A month later, longtime Syrian ruler and Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted, depriving Hezbollah of its main conduit for weapons and supplies from Iran. And finally, Israel went to war with Iran itself in June, with the United States stepping in briefly to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities. Ever since last year's war, Hezbollah's firm grip on Lebanese politics has been slipping. 'Grave sin' Hezbollah has slammed the government's new disarmament push as a 'grave sin', while Tehran has also declared its opposition. But in Beirut, Larijani said that no foreign power should give orders to Lebanon, adding that it was not Iran but the United States that was intervening. Lebanon's cabinet recently considered a US proposal that included a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament, with Washington pressing Beirut to take action. 'Any decision that the Lebanese government makes in consultation with the resistance is respected by us,' Larijani said. 'The one who interferes in Lebanese affairs is the one who plans for you, gives you a timetable from thousands of kilometres away. We did not give you any plan.' Salam, however, appeared to make clear the changed nature of the relationship, declaring that 'Lebanon's decisions are made by the Lebanese themselves, who tolerate neither tutelage nor diktat'. 'Lebanon, which was the first defender of the Palestinian cause and paid a heavy price in its confrontation with Israel, has no lessons to receive from anyone,' he continued. Iran's government has long portrayed itself as a defender of the Palestinians, with Hamas in Gaza another member of its axis. 'Stand by' Lebanon Before the latest war with Israel, Hezbollah 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 Iranian 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. In addition to meeting President Aoun and Prime Minister Salam, Larijani was due to sit down with parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who is close to Hezbollah. He was also expected to visit the grave of Nasrallah, who was killed in a massive Israeli bombing in south Beirut last year. — AFP
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Lebanon says it rejects foreign intervention during visit by top Iranian official Ali Larijani
Lebanon's president told a top Iranian security official Wednesday that Beirut rejects any foreign intervention in its internal affairs and wants Lebanon to remain stable and secure for the good of its people. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, is the most senior Iranian official to visit Beirut since the Lebanese government voted last week for a U.S.-backed plan to disarm the Iran-backed Hezbollah group by the end of the year and implement a ceasefire with Israel. Iran has lambasted the plan, while Hezbollah has refused to recognize it and vowed not to disarm. The Mediterranean country has been under international pressure to get the militant group to lay down arms after a bruising war with Israel that ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November. 'Lebanon desires cooperation with Iran within the framework of sovereignty and friendship that are based on mutual respect,' President Joseph Aoun said in remarks released by his office after meeting Larijani. He also said Lebanese-Iranian relations should be with all the people of Lebanon and not just one religious sect, criticizing recent comments by Iranian officials. Larijani told reporters after meeting Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that his country does not interfere in Lebanon's internal affairs, accusing the United States of 'ordering' the Lebanese government to implement 'a foreign plan.' The senior Iranian official also said his country rejected the plan and that any proposal to disarm Hezbollah should be part of an internal dialogue between the government and the Iran-backed group. He called on the Lebanese people to preserve 'the resistance,' saying that Iran will stand by Lebanon in case of any Israeli escalation and if Lebanon asks for help. At Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport, hundreds of Hezbollah supporters greeted Larijani while chanting 'death to America' and waving Iranian flags and the group's yellow banners in a show of support for Tehran. Over the past four decades, Iran has funded and armed Hezbollah with billions of dollars, making it Tehran's strongest proxy in the region. Things changed recently and Hezbollah has been severely weakened by the 14-month war with Israel that left much of the group's political and military leadership dead. The war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, displaced over 1 million and caused destruction that the World Bank said will cost $11 billion in reconstruction. Last week, Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said Tehran is opposed to disarming Hezbollah, leading a harsh response from Lebanon's Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, who said they 'represent a flagrant and unacceptable interference in Lebanon's internal affairs.'
