TEHRAN: The head of Iran’s top security body, Ali Larijani, will visit Iraq on Monday before heading to Lebanon, where the government has approved a plan to disarm Tehran’s ally Hezbollah, state media said.
“Ali Larijani departs today (Monday) for Iraq and then Lebanon on a three-day visit, his first foreign trip since taking office last week,” state television reported
Larijani will sign a bilateral security agreement in Iraq before heading to Lebanon, where he will meet senior Lebanese officials and figures.
His trip to Lebanon comes after Tehran expressed strong opposition to a Lebanese government plan to disarm Tehran’s ally Hezbollah, a stance condemned by Beirut as a “flagrant and unacceptable interference.”
“Our cooperation with the Lebanese government is long and deep. We consult on various regional issues. In this particular context, we are talking to Lebanese officials and influential figures in Lebanon,” Larijani told state TV before departing.
“In Lebanon, our positions are already clear. Lebanese national unity is important and must be preserved in all circumstances. Lebanon’s independence is still important to us and we will contribute to it.”
On Saturday, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, described the plan to disarm Hezbollah as compliance “to the will of the United States and Israel.”
The disarmament push followed last year’s war between Israel and Hezbollah, which left the group, once a powerful political and military force, weakened.
It also comes amid pressure from the United States and anti-Hezbollah parties in Lebanon, as well as fears Israel could escalate its strikes if the group remains armed.
Iran appointed 68-year-old Larijani to head the Supreme National Security Council, which is responsible for laying out Iran’s defense and security strategy. Its decisions must be approved by the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The appointment comes after a 12-day war with Israel, which began the conflict with an unprecedented attack on Iran in mid-June striking military, nuclear and residential sites.
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Head of Iran top security body heads to Iraq, Lebanon
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Head of Iran top security body heads to Iraq, Lebanon
- Larijani will sign a bilateral security agreement in Iraq before heading to Lebanon
Lebanese army shows ambassadors efforts to disarm Hezbollah
- The Lebanese army has set a goal of dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure south of the Litani River by year’s end
- Army chief said the tour was intended to highlight the army’s commitment to the efforts in spite of its “limited capabilities”
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s army gave several ambassadors and foreign military officials a tour on Monday meant to demonstrate its efforts to disarm Hezbollah, as Beirut contends with fears of expanded Israeli strikes and mounting diplomatic pressure to show results.
Lebanon has committed to disarming Iran-backed Hezbollah, and the army has set a goal of dismantling the group’s military infrastructure south of the Litani River — around 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Israel — by year’s end before tackling the rest of the country.
In a statement, the military said it “organized a field tour for a number of ambassadors, charges d’affaires, and military attaches to learn about the implementation of the first phase of the army’s plan in the south of the Litani sector.”
Army chief Rodolphe Haykal said the tour was intended to highlight the army’s commitment to the efforts in spite of its “limited capabilities.”
Israel and Hezbollah clashed for over a year after the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, and a November 2024 ceasefire was meant to put an end to the hostilities.
According to the agreement, Hezbollah was required to pull its forces north of the Litani River and have its military infrastructure in the vacated area dismantled.
Israel was meant to pull back its forces and halt its attacks, though it has carried out regular strikes in the south and has kept troops deployed in five border points it deems strategic.
Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected calls to disarm, and many fear a wider Israeli escalation should Beirut fail to deliver on its plans.
The ceasefire is monitored by a committee that includes the United States, France, UN peacekeepers, Lebanon and Israel, and is slated to meet on December 19.
Lebanon has committed to disarming Iran-backed Hezbollah, and the army has set a goal of dismantling the group’s military infrastructure south of the Litani River — around 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Israel — by year’s end before tackling the rest of the country.
In a statement, the military said it “organized a field tour for a number of ambassadors, charges d’affaires, and military attaches to learn about the implementation of the first phase of the army’s plan in the south of the Litani sector.”
Army chief Rodolphe Haykal said the tour was intended to highlight the army’s commitment to the efforts in spite of its “limited capabilities.”
Israel and Hezbollah clashed for over a year after the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, and a November 2024 ceasefire was meant to put an end to the hostilities.
According to the agreement, Hezbollah was required to pull its forces north of the Litani River and have its military infrastructure in the vacated area dismantled.
Israel was meant to pull back its forces and halt its attacks, though it has carried out regular strikes in the south and has kept troops deployed in five border points it deems strategic.
Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected calls to disarm, and many fear a wider Israeli escalation should Beirut fail to deliver on its plans.
The ceasefire is monitored by a committee that includes the United States, France, UN peacekeepers, Lebanon and Israel, and is slated to meet on December 19.
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