The Vice President of the Iranian Parliament, Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, and the delegation he leads, speaking from Ain el-Tiné on September 10, 2025. Photo Hassan Ibrahim/Flickr Parliament
BEIRUT — The deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament, Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, said during a visit to Beirut on Wednesday that “the Israeli occupation of Lebanon, as well as the aggression and dictates once imposed, now belong to the past.” He urged foreign powers not to interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs, a remark widely seen as a reference to the government’s compromise last week to avoid formally endorsing the army’s plan to disarm Hezbollah.
“There is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran supports and blesses any decision taken by the Lebanese brothers,” Haji Babaei said after meeting Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at Ain al-Tineh. “There is also no doubt that recent developments and decisions show that political wisdom prevails in this country. We are fully convinced that the dear Lebanese people will in no way allow any foreign force to interfere in their affairs or dictate its will to them.”
He described his talks with Berri as an opportunity to reaffirm Iran’s backing for Lebanese unity and reiterated his call for outside forces to stay out of Lebanon’s domestic politics.
“It is undeniable that the Israeli occupation, aggression and dictates once imposed on this brotherly country now belong to the past,” he said. “We firmly believe that coming developments will show clearly that interventionist and unilateralist policies that impose their will on others are now over, and that the world is moving toward a balance of power. The Islamic Republic of Iran, with all the power it possesses, first defends itself, then the Resistance, and stands resolutely against all external impositions.”
Haji Babaei is in Beirut for the inaugural congress of the Asian-African Parliamentary Council, which ran for two days in the Lebanese capital. He called on “the peoples and states of the region — Palestinians, Lebanese, Iraqis, Yemenis, Iranians and Qataris — to unite, join forces and stand together as one against Israeli aggression,” a day after Israel struck Hamas officials in Doha. “As Israeli officials have said, this attack is a message to the Middle East and the entire world,” he added.
He also warned Israel and the United States against attacking Iran. “We, the Islamic Republic of Iran, are not supporters of war, but we defend with all our might our freedom, sovereignty and independence,” he said. “If the American and Israeli enemies think they can once again strike the Islamic Republic of Iran with brutal aggression, let them be assured that Iran knows how to respond to these American and Israeli threats in the appropriate and necessary manner.”
Operation "Midnight Hammer," launched by the U.S. military on June 22 near the end of a 12-day war between Israel and Iran, targeted three main nuclear enrichment sites: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
