Iran's Foreing Affairs Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a meeting with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. (Credit: Hezbollah press office photo)
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, arrived in Lebanon Thursday evening after a visit to Iraq, and was received by outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
In the meeting with Mikati, Amir-Abdollahian assured of Iran’s wishes to preserve Lebanon’s security. “What is important for us is the security of Lebanon and the preservation of calm in the country. This is the objective of my visit and I suggest holding a meeting for the leaders of the region to study the situation,” he said, according to a statement relayed by the National News Agency (NNA).
Upon arriving in Beirut, the Iranian minister declared "the continuation of war crimes against the Palestinians and Gaza will receive a response from the rest of the [pro-Iranian] axis", of which Hezbollah is a part.
On Friday, Amir-Abdollahian warned that conflict could spread to other parts of the region “if Benjamin Netanyahu (Israeli Prime Minister) does not stop his devastating war.” According to AFP, Amir-Abdollahian said that the United States must “control Israel” if they want to avoid a regional war.
Mikati insisted on “the need to deploy all diplomatic resources to put an end to what is happening in Gaza and protect Lebanon.”
“If the Americans want to prevent war from developing in the region, they must control Israel,” he said. “Security and peace in Lebanon are important to us.”
Almost completely silent since the start of the conflict, the outgoing Lebanese government finally commented on events on Thursday afternoon, following a meeting of the Council of Ministers. Mikati expressed Lebanon’s support for the Palestinians "in the face of Israeli oppression," and called "all Lebanese parties to exercise restraint," insisting on "the role of the army in the preservation of security and stability.” Mikati’s comment subtly called on Hezbollah to stay away from the war, whose consequences would be devastating for Lebanon.
The discussions between Amir-Abdollahian and Nasrallah focused on developments in the region, according to a Hezbollah statement issued Friday. Discussions also covered “the responsibilities of each person and the positions to be taken in the face of these historic events and these dangerous developments” in Gaza and the region.
Hezbollah has so far been content with minimal intervention in the Hamas-Israel conflict.
Lebanon’s interim Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, returned to Beirut on Thursday after a trip to Cairo for an emergency Arab League meeting on the conflict. According to the NNA, Bou Habib met with his Algerian, Kuwaiti, Moroccan, Palestinian, Saudi, Syrian and Yemeni counterparts.
The Iraqi stage
Earlier Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian visited Baghdad and discussed the situation in Gaza. “The leaders of certain countries are asking us about the possibility of opening a new front [against Israel] in the region,” he said during an interview with Mohammed Shia’ al-Soudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq.
“Our clear answer is that everything depends on the actions of the Zionist regime in Gaza,” Amir-Abdollahian added, according to a statement issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. “Even now, Israel's crimes continue and no one in the region will give us permission to open new fronts.”
Some 1,200 Israelis and 1,354 Palestinians were killed since the conflict began. Western powers have warned Iran against an escalation of the conflict. US President Joe Biden declared Wednesday that he had “clearly signaled to the Iranians to be careful.”
Iranian President Ebrahim Raissi called on “Muslim and Arab countries” to “coordinate to put an end to the crimes” of Israel, and spoke Wednesday evening with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.