The refusal came a few days after Lebanon held the first direct talks with Israeli officials in decades
News Desk - The Cradle
The Lebanese foreign minister emphasized that the refusal of the visit “does not mean rejecting discussion,” and extended an invitation for Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to meet in a mutually agreed neutral country.
Rajji reiterated that any engagement with Iran must uphold Lebanon’s sovereignty, saying a new phase of ties required “exclusive” respect for independence, non-interference, and state authority.
He added that “building any strong state” depends on the national army holding the sole right to arms and the exclusive authority over decisions of war and peace, and closed by saying Araghchi would “always be welcome to visit Lebanon.”
Tehran extended its invitation earlier this month to discuss bilateral relations, a move that coincided with growing domestic debate over Hezbollah’s future and pressure for weapons to fall under state control.
The exchange followed public criticism in Beirut of remarks by Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who said Hezbollah was more vital to Lebanon than “bread and water.”
Rajji responded at the time that Lebanon’s priority was its “sovereignty, freedom, and independent decision-making.”
Throughout the exchange, the Lebanese foreign minister said dialogue with Iran remained possible, but only within parameters that safeguard Lebanon’s independence and decision-making authority.
Lebanon’s government continues to press for state control over all weapons under UN resolutions, while Iran maintains support for Hezbollah and rejects disarmament efforts.
These developments come as Israel and Lebanon expand contacts through the committee monitoring their 2024 ceasefire, which this month included the first direct meeting in decades between Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives in the southern village of Naqoura under the US-led mechanism.
Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its near-daily ceasefire violations, launching new waves of air attacks across southern Lebanon that damaged homes and struck multiple civilian areas, according to Lebanese state media.
The UN warns that Israel’s continued strikes amount to war crimes, even as Tel Aviv escalates pressure on Beirut and expands its bombing campaign toward densely populated regions.
Tel Aviv claims that Hezbollah is rearming faster than the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) can disarm the group – a claim used to justify further ceasefire violations, and one that the UN denied outright when UNIFIL’s commander in south Lebanon told Israeli media he has seen “no evidence” that Hezbollah is rearming south of the Litani.
Beirut has said the ceasefire monitoring committee could assess Israeli claims that Hezbollah is re-arming.
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