Iranian FM visits Beirut, vows to respect Lebanese sovereignty

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beirut on Tuesday for meetings with Lebanon’s top officials, while calling for a new chapter in bilateral ties and expressing support for Lebanon’s territorial integrity.

“I hope that, in light of the new regional conditions and Lebanon’s new circumstances, a new chapter of respectful relations between Iran and Lebanon will begin,” Araghchi said at Rafic Hariri Airport.

Araghchi also met with his Lebanese counterpart, Youssef Rajji, and is also scheduled to meet the country’s president, parliament speaker and prime minister during his visit.

Lebanon elected Joseph Aoun as its new president in January 2025 — a figure backed by the United States who is now working to strengthen the army and counterbalance Hezbollah's influence after the Iran-backed militant group was severely weakened by Israel last year in a spate of high-stakes military operations.

Lebanon’s new prime minister, Nawaf Salam, said in late May that "the era of exporting the Iranian revolution is over," adding, "We will not remain silent in the face of weapons outside the control of the state."

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Lebanon’s army has largely disarmed Hezbollah in its southern strongholds — in part with the help of Israeli intelligence.

The country’s new government continues enforcing a fragile ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, which began last year but has seen both sides alleging scores of breaches from the other.

Araghchi made no mention of these developments in his remarks and instead said that Iran would continue to support Lebanon against Israel, while stressing that this support does not amount to interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs.

“Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are of great importance to us and to the entire region,” he said. “We have supported Lebanon’s sovereignty at all stages, and we will continue to do so against the Zionist regime’s occupation — this is simply the support of a friend for its friends and not an act of interference.”

“No country in the region has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of other regional countries,” he added.