Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abollahian during a press conference in Lebanon on April 28, 2023
Iran’s foreign minister met with two of the regime's terror proxies during a visit to Lebanon, during which he was snubbed by Lebanese opposition.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, met with the head of Iran’s most dangerous proxy, Hezbollah, as well as the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement (PIJ) while Lebanese politicians boycotted the diplomat after a request to meet at the Iranian embassy in Beirut.
The embassy had invited all parliamentary blocs to the meeting except for MP Michel Mouawad - a presidential candidate running against Hezbollah-backed Suleiman Franjieh - and nine members of the Change bloc.
According to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, the embassy had only invited MPs Melhem Khalaf, Yassine Yassine and Elias Jradi from the Change bloc, disregarding others vocally opposed to Iran’s political interference in Lebanon where it funds its most dangerous proxy, Hezbollah.
The Kataeb Party, the National Liberal Party and a number of independent lawmakers had announced their boycott of the meeting, which was finally attended by only 16 out of 25 of the invited MPs, the majority from the Hezbollah-led camp.
Hezbollah is responsible for major terror attacks across the world and is designated a terror group by states including the US and UK, as well as the EU and the Arab League.
Amir-Abdollahian also held a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, in which the regime’s leading diplomat urged political factions in Lebanon to speed up the presidential elections. Since former president Michel Aoun's term expired on 31 October, there has been no agreement on who shall succeed him.