Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during a press conference in Istanbul on June 22, 2025. (Credit: AFP)
The phrase could have gone unnoticed, drowned out by the recent cries of victory from the Iranian regime and its allies. But it was so provocative that it demanded attention.“Iran is not Lebanon. Any violation of the cease-fire [with Israel] will be met with a swift and firm response,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared Thursday.At best, the comment is insulting to the Lebanese people still reeling from a war launched in Iran’s name — and from a cease-fire that Israel continues to violate at will, precisely because of Iran.Lebanon’s erosion of sovereignty is no mystery. For years, a militia beholden to Iran has made the country an arena for regional power plays under the hollow slogan of “unity of the fronts.” A mailbox opened and closed at the whim of Iran’s supreme leader. The arrogance packed into Araghchi’s statement...
The phrase could have gone unnoticed, drowned out by the recent cries of victory from the Iranian regime and its allies. But it was so provocative that it demanded attention.“Iran is not Lebanon. Any violation of the cease-fire [with Israel] will be met with a swift and firm response,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared Thursday.At best, the comment is insulting to the Lebanese people still reeling from a war launched in Iran’s name — and from a cease-fire that Israel continues to violate at will, precisely because of Iran.Lebanon’s erosion of sovereignty is no mystery. For years, a militia beholden to Iran has made the country an arena for regional power plays under the hollow slogan of “unity of the fronts.” A mailbox opened and closed at the whim of Iran’s supreme leader. The arrogance packed into...