Iran rejects Lebanon's accusation of interference in its affairs
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Iran denied Monday an accusation from Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati that it was interfering in Beirut's internal affairs over remarks attributed to Tehran's speaker of parliament.
On Thursday, France's Le Figaro quoted Iran's Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as saying that his government was ready to negotiate the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which is seen as a precondition for a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, an ally of Iran.
The resolution calls for the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers to be the only forces deployed to southern Lebanon.
In a rare rebuke of Tehran, Mikati accused it of "blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an attempt to establish an unacceptable guardianship over Lebanon".
"Iran has never had any intention or (taken any) action that could be suspected of interfering in the internal affairs of Lebanon," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said during a weekly news conference.
"We hold discussions with any country that has an initiative and a proposal to end the crimes and aggression against Lebanon and the genocide in Gaza," said Baghaei, adding that there had been a "misunderstanding" regarding Ghalibaf's reported remarks.
Iran has in recent days intensified diplomatic efforts, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visiting multiple countries in the region to push for ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza as well as ways to contain the conflicts.
"We are happy that we and all the countries of the region have reached this level of maturity and we share the opinion that protecting peace in the region is our common duty," said Baghaei of the recent visits.
Iran is braced for Israel's promised retaliatory attack after Tehran launched a barrage of around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1, itself a retaliation for the killing of various Iran-backed militant leaders and a Revolutionary Guards commander.
Baghaei said that Iran's neighbouring countries "will not allow their space to be used for an attack on an Islamic country in the region".