Qalibaf’s statements spark official Lebanese protests and Iran clarifies its position policy

by

Beirut/Tehran- A speech by the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, in which he indicated Tehran’s readiness to negotiate with France regarding the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1701, caused widespread uproar in Lebanese political circles. This statement was considered a direct interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs, which required diplomatic measures for clarification.

In this context, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed his astonishment at the Iranian position, and considered it a “scandalous interference” in Lebanese affairs, and an attempt to establish unacceptable guardianship over the country. Mikati asked the Lebanese Foreign Minister, Abdullah Bou Habib, to summon the Chargé d’Affaires of the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon to protest Ghalibaf’s statement.

Dr. Ali Darwish, former deputy in the parliamentary bloc of the Lebanese Prime Minister, explained in his speech to Al Jazeera Net that the statement of the Iranian Parliament Speaker, Muhammad Baqir Qalibaf, regarding the implementation of Resolution 1701 is also considered a purely Lebanese matter, especially since the UN resolution was issued in 2006 and was not It is still applied.

Darwish indicated that the Lebanese Foreign Minister requested that the Chargé d’Affairs of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut be summoned to inquire about this statement, as it is considered unacceptable for any country to interfere in Lebanon’s affairs. Therefore, the Lebanese Prime Minister directed the Minister of Foreign Affairs to look into this matter to put things right.

Darwish added that any direct interference in Lebanese affairs is considered unacceptable, and he expressed his hope that a statement would be issued after the Chargé d’Affaires’ inquiry about the Iranian minister’s statement.

Darwish expressed what he called “Lebanon’s appreciation” for the efforts of friendly and brotherly countries, but he said that it “remains primarily responsible for its internal affairs,” and stressed that Lebanon is a sovereign state, despite the challenges it faces in light of the war, and will seek to restore its position as a shining center in the region.

Political dimensions

Lebanese writer and political analyst Nicolas Nassif told Al Jazeera Net that “Iranian diplomatic interference” is considered one of the most prominent points of disagreement between Lebanon and Iran. In the past, these disputes were characterized by ambiguity, given the presence of Hezbollah in Lebanese governments and the role it plays in relations with Iran.

Nassif believes that the Lebanese state “was not always satisfied with the Iranian role, which is considered interference in Lebanese affairs,” noting that the situation today appears more complex and influential than ever before, especially after the “bad meeting” that brought together the caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati. And Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, he said.

According to Nassif, the meeting between Mikati and Araghchi ended unfriendly, and Nassif attributes this behavior to Mikati’s agreement with President Nabih Berri and Walid Jumblatt on the necessity of a ceasefire and the implementation of Resolution 1701.

However, the Iranian Foreign Minister asked Lebanon to reverse this approach, stressing that it was still too early to implement the decision, stressed the importance of supporting the resistance, and warned that failure to do so could lead to the Lebanese state losing any influence.

Facing interventions

In the same context, Nassif points out that the Iranian minister’s statements reflect Iran’s desire to continue the confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel, which means the continuation of the war and its repercussions on Lebanon.

Nassif adds, “When Iranian officials talk about their willingness to negotiate with France about the implementation of Resolution 1701, this shows Iran’s desire to appear as a guardian of the Lebanese government. With the Lebanese government being prevented from talking about this resolution, Iran is now seeking to negotiate it with France, despite the fact that The resolution was issued by the Security Council, not a French resolution, and the body responsible for implementing it is Lebanon and Israel at the United Nations or the Security Council.”

Nassif believes that President Mikati is right in his protest that Iran does not want Lebanon to announce the implementation of Resolution 1701, but rather seeks to implement it or negotiate on its behalf, as if it were Lebanon’s guardian.

Clarify a position

On the Iranian side, Parliament Speaker Muhammad Baqir Qalibaf issued a statement in which he confirmed that what the French newspaper reported about him regarding the ceasefire in Lebanon was “absolutely not true,” adding that he was clear about the developments in the situation in Lebanon, and that his country would support what the government and the resistance supported. In Lebanon regarding the ceasefire, and this is what he renewed during his meeting with Mr. Mikati.

The statement said, “No one should imagine that he is able to reach a sustainable political agreement without taking the opinion of the resistance into account, and from this standpoint, Iran can develop cooperation with the European side to help reach a ceasefire that enjoys the support of the resistance.” The government in Lebanon is on its agenda.”

For his part, Abdolreza Davari, a political activist close to the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, says that to understand the latter’s statement, all his positions must be taken into account. Starting from his statement before leaving Tehran, his meetings in Beirut, then his speech before the Inter-Parliamentary Union summit in Geneva, all the way to the report he submitted upon his return to Tehran.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, the Iranian politician explained that Ghalibaf repeatedly affirmed his country’s support for the Lebanese people and their resistance in the face of Israeli aggression and demanded that practical measures be taken to put an end to the Israeli massacres in Lebanon and Gaza, and stressed the necessity of a ceasefire there.

The Iranian political activist continued that Ghalibaf announced after his meetings with Lebanese officials that he “carries with him to Geneva the issues of the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples,” and his confirmation may be Tehran’s readiness to negotiate with Paris as it is a traditional supporter of Lebanon in the context of providing support for the ceasefire.

Dauri added that Qalibaf’s statement should not be interpreted as an attempt to establish guardianship over Lebanon after he affirmed that the Islamic Republic will support everything that the people and government in Lebanon decide, adding that the positions of the Islamic Republic are officially issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that what the French newspaper reported was Tehran’s readiness to negotiate. With Paris regarding the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, it is not in line with the Iranian policy of supporting the Lebanese Hezbollah.

In the opinion of the spokesman himself, the position conveyed by the French newspaper about Qalibaf regarding the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 is not consistent with his words in support of the Lebanese resistance that refuses to back down in the face of the “Zionist-American agenda,” indicating that Qalibaf deliberately mentioned to the French newspaper that Tehran does not recognize the “Zionist entity.” It considers it nothing but a branch of the US armed forces in the region.

He concluded that the Islamic Republic of Iran has not and will not interfere in the affairs of other independent countries, let alone friendly countries such as Lebanon, but rather considers it its duty to help stop the bloodshed and force the Israeli enemy to accept a ceasefire.

Leave a Comment