Vahid Jalalzadeh, Iranian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited Bustros Palace in Beirut on Jan. 31, 2025. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib received on Friday a senior Iranian diplomatic official, Vahid Jalal Zadeh, who urged the Lebanese authorities to "ensure the best possible care for Syrians who fled their country for Lebanon" after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec. 8.
Since the collapse of the Syrian regime, many Syrians, particularly those loyal to the fallen government, have attempted to enter Lebanon illegally. Additionally, members of the Assad family have used Beirut as a transit point to flee the country. These illegal entry attempts, particularly along the border, have prompted the Lebanese Army to bolster its presence there.
During a visit, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahid Jalal Zadeh, accompanied by his delegation, met with Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib. Zadeh called for "close and constructive cooperation to ensure Syrian refugees receive the best care," according to a statement cited by the National News Agency (NNA).
Zadeh also expressed hope for "
reciprocity" from the Lebanese government, acknowledging "the warm welcome extended to Lebanese on Syrian soil during the war between Hezbollah and Israel."
Hezbollah opened the South Lebanon front against Israel in October 2023 to support Hamas, its Palestinian ally, in the Gaza war triggered by an attack by the Islamist movement on Israeli soil. This front degenerated into an open war last September, with the Israeli state bombing Beirut and delivering several severe blows to the Shiite party, notably killing its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
In October 2023, Hezbollah opened a 'support front' for Gaza from southern Lebanon front against Israel. This front escalated into full-scale war last September followed by a ground invasion, with Israeli forces bombing Beirut and delivering several devastating blows to Hezbollah, including the assassination of its Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah.
Care and social services
The Iranian official emphasized that his country had "urged" the Syrian authorities, then under the Assad regime, to offer the "best conditions for Lebanese who found refuge in Syria."
He also informed Bou Habib that a number of Syrian refugees currently in Lebanon are of Iranian origin.
Zadeh expressed hope that the international community and the U.N. would extend the same care and social services to these new refugees as those provided to those who fled to Lebanon following the 2011 uprising against Bashar al-Assad and the subsequent civil war.
Hezbollah emerged from its war with Israel significantly weakened and lost a key ally with the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. The party also saw its crucial military supply route through Syria, vital for the transfer of arms from its Iranian backers, cut off after Syrian rebels, led by the Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, seized control. This shift also marked a decline in Iran's regional influence.
Moreover, commenting on Israeli threats against Beirut International Airport, following reports that Iran was sending "suitcases of money" to Hezbollah by plane, the diplomat stated that Lebanon is "sovereign and makes its own decisions on the relations it establishes with other countries, including Iran." "The stay of Iranian nationals or citizens on Lebanese territory is subject to all the laws and standards adopted in Lebanon, and naturally, we condemn the Israeli threats," he added.
On Israeli threats against Beirut international airport, following reports that Iran was sending "suitcases of money" to Hezbollah by plane, Zadeh reaffirmed Lebanon's sovereignty, stating that the country "makes its own decisions on the relations it establishes with other countries, including Iran." He added, "The presence of Iranian nationals or citizens on Lebanese territory is subject to all the laws and standards adopted in Lebanon, and naturally, we condemn the Israeli threats."
Zadeh also met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, with the two discussing the latest developments in Lebanon and the broader region.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient Le-Jour.
