Lebanese President Michel Aoun (center) receiving the Iranian Minister of Culture (on his right) on Feb. 28, 2022. Photo Twitter / @LBPresidency
BEIRUT – After receiving the Minister of Culture of Iran, Mohammad Mahdi el-Esmaili, on the occasion of the launch of the "Iranian Cultural Week in Lebanon," President Michel Aoun said on Monday that he hoped for the "success" of the negotiations conducted in Vienna on Iran's nuclear program.
Here's what we know:
• Aoun said that a successful resolution to the talks would be "a sign of peace not only for Iran, but for the entire region in a way that guarantees the comfort of its peoples and their happy life" and added that "peace between our two peoples preserves their tranquility," the president's office said in a statement.
• The Iranian minister, for his part, said, "Iran appreciates your positions... You are doing everything in your power to preserve the unity of Lebanon. We are determined to strengthen relations with Lebanon in all areas," Aoun's office reported.
• Negotiations to restore the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to limit Iran's nuclear program, from which the United States withdrew in 2018, are in their final stages, with talks taking part in Vienna between Iran and the other JCPOA signatories — the UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China — and indirectly the United States.
• While some expected the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent rise in tensions between Russia and the West to torpedo the deal, it is not yet clear how the two issues will impact each other. Analysts anticipate that any developments related to the Iran nuclear deal will indirectly impact Lebanon, where Iran has a large political footprint due to its relationship with Hezbollah.