Iranian Embassy sets schedule of Larijani's visit

BEIRUT — The Iranian Embassy in Lebanon has set the schedule for the Beirut visit of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, a source in the embassy told L'Orient Today on Tuesday. Larijani will be arriving in Lebanon on Wednesday morning.

According to the schedule, Larijani is expected to meet with President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Presidential Palace at 11 a.m., around three hours after he lands at Rafic Hariri International Airport.

Larijani is also expected to meet with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh at 12 p.m. and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in the Grand Serail at 6 p.m.

Larijani in Beirut: What message is he delivering to Hezbollah?

Larijani in Beirut: What message is he delivering to Hezbollah?

The Iranian official will also convene with Lebanese spiritual and political figures at 3 p.m. and Lebanese and Palestinian parliamentary, political, and party figures at 4:30 p.m. at the Iranian Embassy headquarters.

The Iranian official's visit comes after the Lebanese government tasked its army with preparing a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year. The army has been asked to submit the plan to Cabinet by the end of August.

The decision was announced last Tuesday, followed by a second meeting last Thursday, during which Cabinet, minus its Shiite minitsers, approved the adoption of a U.S.-drawn plan for Hezbollah's disarmament.

Since Thursday, the party's supporters have protested daily in various cities across the country. However, the party's ministers did not resign from government.

On the Wednesday between the two Cabinet meetings, Tehran stated it would support any decision taken by Hezbollah, and some media reported that Iran's foreign minister said the disarmament plan "will not work."

Then on Saturday, an adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said his country "certainly" opposed the Lebanese government’s decision to disarm Hezbollah.

These positions prompted reactions from the Lebanese foreign ministry, headed by Joe Rajji from the Lebanese Forces’ share in Cabinet, which condemned Tehran’s "unacceptable" interference, though it stopped short of summoning the ambassador. According to the schedule of the Iranian embassy, Larijani will not be meeting Rajji during his visit.