President Aoun tells Iranian delegation: 'Lebanon is tired of others' wars on its land'
Stressed that Lebanon paid a heavy price for the Palestinian cause and supports the Riyadh summit's resolution regarding the two-state solution
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun received the Speaker of the Shura Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, and the Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, with an accompanying delegation.
Qalibaf conveyed to Aoun the greetings of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and his invitation to him to pay an official visit to Tehran. He also congratulated him on his election as President of the Republic, then spoke about Lebanese-Iranian relations and the need to develop them in all fields.
Qalibaf stressed 'the unity of Lebanese territories, their safety and the sovereignty of the state over them,' expressing 'his country's readiness to participate with Arab and Islamic countries in rebuilding what was destroyed by the Israeli aggression on Lebanon.' He stressed that 'the Islamic Republic of Iran wants to see Lebanon a stable, secure and prosperous country,' noting that his country supports any decision taken by Lebanon away from any foreign interference in its affairs.
In turn, President Aoun stressed that 'Lebanon is tired of others' wars on its land, and I agree with you that countries should not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, and the best way to confront any loss or aggression is the unity of the Lebanese. We share with you what the Iranian constitution indicated in its ninth article, which confirms that 'the country's freedom, independence, territorial integrity and safety are indivisible matters,' and also confirms that 'the government and all members of the people bear the responsibility of preserving them, and no individual, group or official has the right to cause the slightest harm to the political, cultural, economic or military independence of the country, or to undermine the territorial integrity of the country under the pretext of exercising freedom.'
But Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said the group would keep following the path of slain chief Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday during a televised speech broadcast at his massive funeral on the outskirts of Beirut. : 'The resistance is not over, the resistance is still present and ready to face Israel', he added
Aoun noted 'what was issued by the recent Riyadh summit, in which the Islamic Republic of Iran participated, especially on the affirmation of the two-state solution with regard to the Palestinian issue, and that the Palestinian Authority is the legitimate representative of the Palestinians,' noting that 'Lebanon paid a heavy price in defense of the Palestinian issue,' expressing his hope to reach a just solution to it.
The President stressed 'Lebanon's keenness to establish the best relations with Tehran, for the benefit of both countries and peoples'.
The Iranian- backed Hezbollah militant group initiated 2 wars against Israel . In 2006 and 2023 and in both cases Lebanon ended up losing territory to Israel . In 2006 Israel occupied the northern part of the town of Ghajar in South Lebanon and as a result of Hezbollah's 2023 war Lebanon lost 5 strategic hills in south Lebanon to Israel. Hezbollah also lost all its top leaders in its war with Israel and suffered a huge defeat . According to observers , ' in the case of both wars Hezbollah never consulted any Lebanese officials before launching them , with the aim of increasing Iran's influence in the region at the expense of the Lebanese people. In both wars the Shiite community suffered the most as tens of thousands of their homes were destroyed and over a million were displaced '
El Nashra , translated from Arabic
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