Top Iranian official pledges support for Lebanon ‘under all circumstances’
The Cradle, November 15, 2024 ─
The advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader met with Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri.
Senior Advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Larijani, visited Beirut on 15 November to show his country’s support for Lebanon and its people “under all circumstances,” amid the ongoing war with Israel.
In a meeting with Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, in the Lebanese capital Friday, Larijani stated, “We consider standing by Lebanon as one of the duties of the Iranian government, and we hope that the country’s conditions will improve soon.”
Larijani affirmed that “Hezbollah is a solid movement, the Lebanese people are a great people, and Iran will support the resistance.”
Speaker Berri, also head of the Amal Movement, has been engaged in talks to reach a ceasefire with the US envoy to Lebanon, dual US-Israeli citizen Amos Hochstein.
Regarding ongoing talks to reach a ceasefire, Larijani explained, “We are seeking to solve problems, while Netanyahu is the one who is sabotaging things, and you must distinguish between friends and enemies.”
US Ambassador Lisa Johnson informed Berri on Thursday that Hochstein will continue to mediate between the Lebanese and Israeli governments after US President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported Friday.
Also on Thursday, Johnson presented a draft proposal for a ceasefire to Berri, who in turn forwarded the proposal to Hezbollah, according to Al Jazeera.
The report states that the Lebanese resistance plans to “study the points” of the proposal and inform Berri of its position on it.
Lebanese media described the proposal as a form of “blackmail” against Lebanon.
“The draft is actually the result of a unilateral US-Israeli understanding regarding security arrangements requested by Israel, which the Americans conveyed to Lebanon in the form of a proposal,” Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper reported.
The wording of the proposal “makes the offer a blackmail and is being put forward on the basis of either accepting it or continuing the war at a higher and more intense pace in the coming months.”
Israeli officials have at times demanded that Hezbollah withdraw its forces to points behind the Litani River in exchange for a ceasefire. At other times, they demanded that the resistance be completely disarmed and destroyed.
However, Reuters notes that Hezbollah says it is defending Lebanon from Israeli aggression and has vowed to keep fighting, saying it will not lay down its arms or allow Israel to achieve political gains on the back of the war.