Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced Thursday he accepted an invitation from his Lebanese counterpart, Youssef Raggi, to visit Beirut in order to open “a new chapter” in bilateral relations, reported the Anadolu news agency.
The announcement followed Raggi’s rejection of Araghchi’s earlier invitation to visit Tehran, instead suggesting that talks be held in a third neutral country.
In a statement on social media, Araghchi described Raggi’s refusal as “bemusing.” He added, “Foreign ministers of nations with brotherly and full diplomatic relations need no ‘neutral’ venue to meet. Subjected to Israeli occupation and blatant 'ceasefire' violations, I fully understand why my esteemed Lebanese counterpart is not prepared to visit Tehran.”
The exchange comes amid sharp disagreements over Hezbollah’s future. Iran is a major sponsor of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and in the past has vowed to always support the group.
A report in March of last year revealed that Iran is using European ports to provide cover for shipments of weapons to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon.
Iranian officials, including Araghchi himself, have criticized Lebanon’s recent decision to disarm the terror group, in line with a ceasefire agreement reached with Israel last year.
On Wednesday, Raggi emphasized that relations between Lebanon and Iran must be built on “mutual respect for the sovereignty of both countries and non-interference in internal affairs.”
The Lebanese government in August approved a US-endorsed plan to place all weapons, including those held by Hezbollah, under state control. The army has been tasked with implementing the plan before the end of 2025.
Hezbollah has rejected the initiative, insisting that Israeli forces must fully withdraw from Lebanese territory before it considers laying down arms.