Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati gives an interview with AFP at the government palace in Beirut on Oct. 15, 2024. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
Outgoing Lebanese Prime Minister Nagib Mikati expressed his outrage on Friday morning regarding comments made by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf in an interview published the previous day. In the interview, Ghalibaf suggested that Tehran might be willing to negotiate with Paris on the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701, which pertains to southern Lebanon.
Resolution 1701, adopted by the U.N. Security Council in 2006 to end the war between Hezbollah and Israel, stipulates that only the Lebanese army can be deployed south of the Litani River, in the border area with Israel. It also calls for strengthening the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and for disarming armed groups outside of the Lebanese army.
In a statement, Mikati expressed being "surprised" by Ghalibaf's remarks in his interview with the French daily Le Figaro. He called the statement "a blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an unacceptable attempt to impose tutelage over Lebanon." Mikati said he had informed Iranian officials, including Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during recent visits, of "the need to understand the Lebanese situation."
Rejection of any ‘attempt to impose new mandates’
Mikati emphasized that Lebanon is working with all its friends, including France, to pressure Israel for a cease-fire, and stressed that negotiations on implementing Resolution 1701 are in the hands of "the Lebanese state." He firmly rejected any "attempt to impose new mandates" on Lebanon, referencing the country's history with the French mandate from 1923 to 1946.
Following the release of his statement, Mikati also requested that outgoing Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib summon the Iranian embassy's chargé d'affaires in Beirut to clarify Ghalibaf's remarks. The Foreign Minister was tasked with officially informing the Iranian chargé d'affaires of Lebanon's position on the matter.
"Completely inaccurate" remarks
A source close to Ghalibaf, cited by the pro-Iranian channel Al-Mayadeen, claimed that the comments reported by Le Figaro were "completely inaccurate."
Earlier, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah had stated that ceasefire negotiations were "in the hands of Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in cooperation with Mikati," and that the party was "coordinating" with Berri.
In his interview, Ghalibaf expressed his desire for "a cease-fire as quickly as possible" in southern Lebanon. To achieve this goal, the Iranian Parliament Speaker said that Iran would be willing to negotiate concrete measures for implementing Resolution 1701 with France, which would act as a mediator between Hezbollah and Israel.
Before his trip to Geneva, where he gave his interview to Le Figaro, Ghalibaf had flown to Beirut the previous Saturday, personally piloting the plane that landed at Beirut Airport. He met with several Lebanese officials, including Prime Minister Nagib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.