Lebanon Opposes Foreign Interference; Calls for Stability

Beirut, Aug 13 (AP) – Lebanon's president conveyed to a high-ranking Iranian security official on Wednesday that Beirut opposes any foreign interference in its domestic matters and aims to maintain Lebanon's stability and security for the benefit of its citizens.

Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, is the highest Iranian official to visit Beirut since the Lebanese government endorsed a US-backed initiative last week. This plan seeks to disarm the Iran-supported Hezbollah group by year-end and establish a ceasefire with Israel.

While Iran has criticized the plan, Hezbollah has outright dismissed it and resolved not to give up its weapons. International pressure has mounted on Lebanon to coax the militant group into disarming following a grueling conflict with Israel that concluded with a US-mediated ceasefire in November.

"Lebanon wishes to collaborate with Iran within a framework of sovereignty and camaraderie that rests on mutual respect," President Joseph Aoun declared, as per a statement from his office following his meeting with Larijani.

He further expressed that Lebanese-Iranian relations should encompass all Lebanese citizens, not limited to one religious group, implicitly censuring recent remarks by Iranian officials.

After discussions with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Larijani conveyed to reporters that Iran does not meddle in Lebanon's internal issues, instead accusing the United States of directing the Lebanese government to pursue “a foreign agenda.” The prominent Iranian figure also reiterated his country's rejection of the plan, asserting that any initiative to disarm Hezbollah ought to emerge from an internal government-dialogue with the Iran-backed entity.

He urged the Lebanese populace to safeguard "the resistance," affirming Iran's readiness to support Lebanon amidst any Israeli aggression, should Lebanon seek assistance.

At Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport, hundreds of Hezbollah supporters welcomed Larijani, chanting “death to America” and brandishing Iranian flags alongside the group's yellow insignia to manifest solidarity with Tehran.

Iran has invested billions of dollars in training and equipping Hezbollah over the past four decades, rendering it Tehran's most formidable proxy in the region. Recently, however, Hezbollah's position has been noticeably weakened due to the protracted 14-month conflict with Israel, which claimed the lives of much of the group's political and military leadership.

The war resulted in over 4,000 fatalities in Lebanon, displaced more than a million individuals, and inflicted devastation with restoration costs estimated at USD 11 billion by the World Bank.

Last week, Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, declared Tehran's opposition to disarming Hezbollah. This prompted a stern rebuttal from Lebanon's Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, who characterized the comments as “a blatant and intolerable interference in Lebanon's internal affairs.”

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