Abbas Araghchi sends Joe Rajji an official invitation to come to Tehran

BEIRUT — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi extended an official invitation to his Lebanese counterpart, Joe Rajji, on Thursday to visit Tehran to discuss, among other things, the "development of bilateral relations," against a backdrop of ongoing tensions between the two officials.

The Lebanese foreign minister — affiliated with the Lebanese Forces quota, a critic of Hezbollah and the pro-Iran axis — regularly denounces Iran's involvement in the country's affairs and had proposed on Nov. 20, during a show on MTV channel, to hold a meeting "in a neutral country, like Switzerland" in order to negotiate and resolve outstanding issues.

In a letter sent to Rajji, Araghchi also invited him to "consultations on the development of bilateral relations and a review of regional and international developments, expressing his confidence in Lebanon's ability to successfully overcome the current challenges and threats," according to the semi-official Tasnim agency.

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Araghchi also mentioned "the historic and friendly relations" between the two countries and confirmed "the constant support of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the sovereignty of Lebanon, its national unity, the integrity of its territory, as well as its security and stability, especially in the face of aggression by the Zionist regime."

In recent months, several episodes of tensions have marked relations between the Iranian and Lebanese foreign ministries, as authorities in Beirut have pledged to disarm Hezbollah, which is allied with Iran, and other militias.

The Foreign Ministry summoned Iranian Ambassador Mojtaba Amani twice, notably in April after a statement in which he described calls to disarm Hezbollah as "a blatant conspiracy against nations."

In August, a decision by Araghchi — whereby Tehran would support any decision taken by Hezbollah in reaction to the disarmament plan — also sparked a flurry of complaints, though the ambassador was not summoned.