Iran “supports efforts” for a simultaneous ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza, assures its Foreign Minister from Beirut

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who arrived in Beirut on Friday, expressed his country’s efforts to achieve a simultaneous ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza, after the Lebanese capital was bombed several times this week.

The head of Iranian diplomacy was received at the Grand Serail by outgoing Lebanese Prime Minister Nagib Mikati, to whom he expressed “Tehran’s concern to support Lebanon in the face of Israeli aggression”, reported the National Agency for information (ANI, official). He also met in Ain el-Tiné with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry, to whom he assured that Iran was working to achieve a truce.

“We support efforts for a ceasefire, provided that, firstly, the rights of the Lebanese people are respected and that it is accepted by the resistance,” said Abbas Araghchi, referring to Hezbollah. “Secondly, it must intervene simultaneously with a ceasefire in Gaza,” according to comments reported by Agence France Presse.

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“We fully support Lebanon in its efforts to confront Israeli crimes. We stand with Lebanon and the resistance (of Hezbollah) (…) and we are sure that the Lebanese people will be victorious. My presence in Beirut in these difficult circumstances shows that Iran supports Hezbollah and the Shiites of Lebanon as well as all Lebanese people,” added Abbas Araghchi, according to local channel MTV.

At the Grand Serail, the head of Iranian diplomacy indicated that his country “will launch a diplomatic campaign to support Lebanon, in particular by calling for a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference”.

Abbas Araghchi is the first Iranian diplomat to set foot on Lebanese soil since the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah on September 27 in an Israeli strike. He is also due to meet parliamentarians from the “resistance axis” (pro-Iranian) on Friday.

Lebanon has been in the grip of a war with Israel since Hezbollah opened a “support front” in Gaza in South Lebanon in October 2023. Israeli attacks have experienced a sudden escalation over the past two weeks, and now regularly strike the southern suburbs of the capital, while fighting pits Hezbollah militias against Israeli troops along the southern border.

It is in this troubled context, and while the southern suburbs have just experienced another terrible night of bombings, that the Iranian minister is making his tour with Lebanese officials.

Mr. Araghchi also returned to the Iranian strike against Israel on Tuesday, affirming that his country only struck “military and security centers, unlike Israel which targets civilians”. “The Iranian strike on Israel is part of self-defense, we did not launch attacks, but we responded to attacks that targeted us. We have no plans to continue in this direction unless Israel continues its offensives. At that time, our response will be even stronger,” added the Iranian minister, quoted by MTV.