Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib (R) receives his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian at the Foreign Ministry in Beirut, January 13, 2023. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
BEIRUT — Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who arrived in Beirut Thursday evening for a three-day visit, said Friday that Teheran, Hezbollah's main ally, "does not interfere in internal" Lebanese affairs, and encouraged "a swift [presidential] election process," as Lebanon has been without a head of state since Michel Aoun's mandate ended October 31.
On the economic level, Abdollahian said that Iran is ready to provide Lebanon with fuel and to build power plants, reiterating Tehran's promises made in the past months, which have yet to materialize.
'Swift election process'
"Iran does not interfere in internal Lebanese affairs but calls on all political parties for a dialogue," Abdollahian said, while answering a question during a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib. He also insisted on a "swift election process," as Lebanon grapples with an unprecedented double vacancy at the executive level — the Mikati's government has been in caretaker mode since last May.
For his part, Bou Habib said in the press conference that "we heard from Abdollahian that Iran is attached to Lebanon's stability and the importance of holding the presidential election."
Parliament has convened ten times so far to try to elect a new president, but has failed each time due to a lack of political agreement, as is customary in Lebanon. A new session is scheduled for January 19.
"Lebanon is keen on Iran's stability and rejects any country's interference in the affairs of other countries," Bou Habib added, in reference to the monthslong protests shaking that country.
Electricty and fuel
"Iran is ready to present Lebanon not only with fuel but Iran also has the manpower and scientific means to build electricity factories to aid the country that has been hit by crisis," Abdollahian said, during the press conference.
During a Beirut meeting in March, the Iranian Foreign Minister assured Bou Habib that Iran “only wants the best for Lebanon.”
In September, Iran said it planned to ship free fuel to Lebanon to assist it in coping with its electricity crisis. The oil has yet to materialize.
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly urged Lebanon's government to turn to Iran for fuel to ease its energy crisis. However, US and international sanctions on Iran make could make this process difficult for Lebanon.
"There are foreign obstacles and pressures but the attempts [to import fuel' will continue," Bou Habib underlined.
Abdollahian also stated Friday that Iran will continue "supporting Lebanese and Palestinian resistance as they are continuously threatened by the Zionist entity [Israel], especially since the rise of the new far-right government."
Following his Nov. 1 election win, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office late last month at the head of a coalition with extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, some of whose officials now head key ministries.
Abdollahian also met with caretaker Prime minister Najib Mikati and with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in the afternoon. He is scheduled to visit Syria on Saturday, where Iran supports the regime of Bashar al-Assad, according to the Syrian pro-government daily Al-Watan.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati (R) meets with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in the capital beirut on January 13, 2023. (Credit: Anwar Amro/ AFP)
The Iranian minister arrived Thursday evening in Beirut for a three-day visit, during which he plans to meet with several political leaders, the National news agency reported.
The Iranian head of diplomacy also met with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, one of Iran's main allies in the region. This meeting is being coordinated by the Iranian Embassy in Beirut and Hezbollah, according to our correspondent.
Tense regional context
The Iranian minister's visit comes at a time when Iran continues to be shaken by monthslong mass protests triggered by the death while in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman, arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code.
The Iranian regime's bloody repression of the protests, which have been followed by several executions, has prompted several Western powers to impose more sanctions on the Iranian regime.
The visit of the top Iranian diplomat to Lebanon comes amid a period of regional tension. Negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issue have been at a standstill for months, raising fears of a possible regional military conflict. Meanwhile, Israel has announced military maneuvers in the occupied Shebaa Farms, on the border between Lebanon and Syria, accentuating apprehensions of wider confrontation, which might directly or indirectly involve Iran.
Additional reporting by Hoda Chedid
