Beirut, April 25 (IANS) Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani was summoned to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry over remarks criticising efforts to disarm Hezbollah.
According to the National News Agency on Thursday, the Ministry’s Secretary-General, Hani Chmeitli, met with the Iranian ambassador and emphasised “the necessity of adhering to the diplomatic principles outlined in international agreements concerning the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs, foremost among them the Vienna Convention”.
The Iranian embassy in Lebanon announced in a statement that during the visit, the ambassador provided clarifications to the Lebanese side regarding the tweet he had recently posted, Xinhua news agency reported.
In his X post on April 18, the ambassador said that “the disarmament project is a clear conspiracy against nations … Once these countries surrender to the demands of disarmament, they become vulnerable to attack and occupation, as was the case in Iraq, Libya, and Syria”.
He noted that its content was general and comprehensive, applying to all countries without exception, including Iran.
He added that this visit came as a precaution to avoid any misunderstanding or misinterpretation between the two countries regarding the content of his post.
Amani also emphasised “the need to prevent enemies from creating division between Iran and Lebanon,” stressing that “vigilance and cooperation are the guarantee to thwart such attempts”.
The Iranian ambassador reaffirmed “Iran’s firm commitment to supporting the independence, sovereignty, stability, and security of the Lebanese Republic, as well as Iran’s full readiness to enhance support and expand the horizons of bilateral cooperation in various fields”.
Iran is a major backer of the Hezbollah group.
Last week, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said that his group would not allow its disarmament.
“We will never allow anyone to disarm Hezbollah or the resistance; this idea must be erased from consideration,” Qassem said.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also said on Tuesday that any differences regarding Hezbollah arms “would be resolved through communication and dialogue”.
A fragile ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since November, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale war in September.
Lebanese authorities have reported more than 2,764 Israeli violations of the truce, including the deaths of at least 194 victims and injuries to 485 others.
Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26, but the deadline was extended to February 18 after Israel refused to comply. It still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.
–IANS
int/khz
