Iranian embassy says Amani provided 'clarifications' to Lebanese officials
Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani provided "clarifications" to Lebanese officials regarding his latest remarks on "disarmament," Iran's embassy said, after he was summoned by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry over perceived interference in Lebanese affairs.
Amani noted that his statements on X were "general... and applied to all countries without exception, including Iran," the embassy added.
The visit to the ministry sought to avoid any possible "misunderstanding between the two countries" over the post's content, the embassy said.
In a post on social network X last week, Amani said the "disarmament plan is a clear conspiracy against states," without saying which or naming Hezbollah.
President Joseph Aoun has pledged to implement a state monopoly on arms.
But it is a "delicate" matter that must be approached through dialogue and carried out when "the circumstances" allow, he said on Sunday.
The United States has been pressing Lebanon's government to disarm Hezbollah.
Lebanon's Foreign Ministry said Amani was informed of the need to adhere to principles of "state sovereignty and non-interference in their domestic affairs," a statement said, pointing to the Vienna Convention.
Hezbollah, long a dominant force in Lebanon, was severely weakened in the latest war with its arch-foe Israel. The war included an Israeli ground incursion and two months of heavy bombardment that decimated the group's leadership.
A November truce accord was based on a U.N. Security Council resolution that says Lebanese troops and United Nations peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon.
It calls for the disarmament of all non-state groups.
On Friday, Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said the group "will not let anyone disarm" it, adding it was ready for dialogue on a "defense strategy," "but not under the pressure of occupation" by Israel.
In subsequent comments on Wednesday to Lebanese television channel Al-Jadeed, Amani said disarming Hezbollah was "a Lebanese domestic matter" and Iran would "not interfere" in it.
"We will comply with what the Lebanese institutions decide," he said, adding that "in Lebanon there is occupation, there are attacks, there is the Israeli danger, there is a group... that wants to defend itself," he added, referring to Hezbollah.
Under the truce, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters north of Lebanon's Litani River and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.
Israel was to withdraw all its forces from south Lebanon, but troops remain in five positions that it deems "strategic".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Lebanese Army reinforces its deployment on outskirts of Rmeish after Israeli incursion
The Lebanese Army has reinforced its presence near the southern border town of Rmeish (Bint Jbeil) after Israeli military vehicles breached the technical fence and attempted excavation work, prompting the intervention of U.N. peacekeepers, the army said in a statement Sunday, as cited by the state-run National News Agency. The army described the incident as 'a blatant violation of U.N. Resolution 1701 and the cease-fire agreement.' Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, called for the cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River, and the disarmament of all non-state militias. 'As a result, the Lebanese Army reinforced its deployment in the area to confront the enemy,' the statement said. 'A patrol from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) arrived to document the violations, which forced the enemy forces to retreat back into occupied territory.' The statement added that the Army Command 'continues to monitor developments along the southern border in coordination with UNIFIL.' Under the cease-fire agreement, which came into effect on Nov. 27, Hezbollah was expected to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the Israeli border, leaving only the Lebanese Army and U.N. peacekeeping forces in the area. Despite the terms of the agreement, Israel has maintained its presence in five positions in southern Lebanon. Violations have persisted, with near-daily attacks and incursions into southern Lebanon, repeated strikes on the Bekaa, and four airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut with the most recent being on June 5. These attacks have killed more than 270 people in Lebanon, including dozens of civilians, according to figures compiled by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and L'Orient Today.
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
First humanitarian convoy enters Sweida
A first humanitarian aid convoy entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria on Sunday, following a week of deadly intercommunal fighting, a Syrian Red Crescent official told AFP. A fragile cease-fire took effect Sunday in the province of Sweida, where clashes have left over 1,000 dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). An AFP correspondent near the city saw the convoy, made up of white vehicles bearing the Red Crescent emblem. 'This is the first convoy to enter since the latest events, and it is now inside the city of Sweida,' Omar al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Syrian Red Crescent, told AFP. He added that the convoy's entry, the first of several, was 'coordinated between government parties and local authorities in Sweida,' which is controlled by Druze factions. The 32-vehicle convoy carried food, medical supplies, fuel and body bags. Residents say the besieged city is without water and electricity. A second aid convoy, organized by Syrian authorities and including over 40 trucks along with three government ministers, was unable to enter the city, according to Damascus. The Syrian Foreign Ministry claimed that 'armed militias affiliated with Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri blocked the entry of the convoy.' Sheikh al-Hijri, one of the Druze community's most influential religious figures, has drawn government ire for calling for international protection of the Druze and appealing for help from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel, home to a Druze minority, has said it intends to protect the community in Syria. In a statement Sunday, Sheikh al-Hijri said that 'all aid reaching the devastated province of Sweida through international organizations and parties is welcome.' The violence, which erupted on July 13 between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes before escalating with the intervention of government forces and tribal groups from across Syria, has killed more than 1,000 people, according to SOHR. The morgue of Sweida's government hospital is full, and bodies were seen lying outside the facility, an AFP photographer reported Sunday. Un premier convoi humanitaire entre à Soueida
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Large protest in Morocco against the ‘unbearable' situation in Gaza
Tens of thousands of Moroccans demonstrated Sunday in Rabat against the 'unbearable' humanitarian situation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the normalization of relations between Israel and their country. Protesters marched down one of the main avenues in the capital, waving Palestinian flags and holding signs calling for an end to the Israeli blockade on Gaza. 'It's a disgrace, Gaza is under fire,' 'Lift the blockade,' 'Morocco, Palestine, one people' and 'No to normalization,' they chanted. The demonstration was organized by various groups, including a coalition of the Islamist movement Al Adl Wal Ihssane and left-wing parties. Around two million Palestinians besieged by Israel in Gaza are on the brink of famine after more than 21 months of conflict, sparked by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israeli territory on Oct. 7, 2023. 'Palestinians are starving and being killed before the eyes of the world. It's our duty to denounce this unbearable tragedy,' protester Jamal Behar told AFP. For young demonstrator Hibattallah Rifqat, 'Israel is committing ethnic cleansing in Gaza. My participation in this protest is a way to amplify the voice of the Palestinians,' she said. Several large demonstrations have taken place in Morocco since the war in Gaza began, in support of the Palestinians and also to demand the cancellation of the normalization agreement with Israel signed in late 2020. Morocco has officially called for an 'immediate end to the Israeli war on Gaza,' without challenging normalization. 'Denouncing the tragedy in Gaza is the least we can do. It must stop. And … we oppose all forms of normalization [with Israel],' said protester Hasna Ouazzani.
