By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BEIRUT/TEHRAN/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Lebanese interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati has accused Iran of interfering in his nation’s internal affairs after the Iranian parliament speaker suggested that Tehran seeks a deal about Hezbollah’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
As Israel prepared to strike Iran for supporting groups like Hezbollah and attacking the Jewish nation, Tehran tried to limit the damage by proposing talks with France on fulfilling United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
The 2006 resolution called for Iran-backed Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where only the Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers could be deployed.
“We were surprised by the comments from Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who said that Tehran is prepared to negotiate with France on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701,” Mikati said.
“This position is an outrageous interference in Lebanon’s affairs and an unacceptable attempt to impose unwarranted guardianship over Lebanon,” he added in published remarks.
He said Tehran’s envoy should be summoned over the reported comments by Bagher.
LEBANON DIPLOMACY
Criticism of Iran by top Lebanese officials is unusual as Tehran sponsors the powerful Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which fights Israeli troops along Lebanon’s southern border.
In comments monitored by Worthy News on Sunday, Mikati stressed that diplomacy is the only path forward, adding that Lebanon should play a full role in that process.
He stressed the need for full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 to end the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
“There is no solution except through diplomacy. It is still on the table,” Mikati told broadcaster Al Arabiya, underscoring the importance of dialogue in preventing further escalation.
Mikati also reaffirmed “Lebanon’s commitment” to Resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Resolution 1701 gives us long-term stability, and we are fully committed to it,” adding that it is a critical tool for maintaining peace in Lebanon’s southern region.
TAIF AGREEMENT
He said the resolution aligned with the 1989 Taif Agreement on Lebanon’s stability, negotiated in Taif, Saudi Arabia.
That accord ended the 15-year-longLebanese Civil War and granted government control over southern Lebanon, then run by the ‘Christian’-South Lebanon Army cooperating with Israel.
“The Taif Agreement stipulates the extension of the state’s sovereignty over all Lebanese territories. It is our cornerstone for stability in southern Lebanon to bring an end to this war,” Mikati explained.
The caretaker prime minister explained that the essence of Resolution 1701 could empower the Lebanese military to take control of conflict areas south of the Litani River.
“We must deploy the Lebanese army to the south of the Litani River,” Mikati said, adding that the government is committed to sending between 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers to the area.
Yet it was unclear when and if the resolution could be implemented as smoke billowed over the front lines after Israel’s recently launched ground offensive in Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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