(Reuters) – Lebanon’s international ministry reprimanded Tehran’s ambassador to Beirut on Thursday over feedback alleging that plans to disarm Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have been a “conspiracy”.
Hezbollah is beneath mounting strain to relinquish its arsenal after a 2024 battle with Israel badly weakened it and left a lot of southern Lebanon in ruins.
President Joseph Aoun is predicted to start talks with the group on disarmament, seen for years as a taboo topic due to the group’s sway over the Lebanese state.
On April 18, Iran’s ambassador to Beirut Mojtaba Amani posted on X that “the disarmament undertaking is a transparent conspiracy”.
“We within the Islamic Republic of Iran are conscious of the hazard of this conspiracy … we warn others to not fall into the entice of enemies,” he wrote.
On Thursday, Lebanon’s international ministry mentioned it had summoned Amani “because of his latest public stances” and that prime ministry official Hani Shmaytelli “knowledgeable him of the necessity to adhere to diplomatic protocols … on the sovereignty of states and non-interference of their inner affairs”.
Amani advised Lebanese broadcaster Al-Jadeed on Wednesday that he had been summoned particularly over the X publish, however that he had missed that first appointment – leading to him being summoned once more on Thursday.
Criticism of Iran by prime Lebanese officers was uncommon for years, notably given Tehran’s sponsorship of Hezbollah.
Final yr, then-prime minister Najib Mikati made a uncommon rebuke to Iran and mentioned Amani must be summoned over reported feedback by a senior Iranian official.
(Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Enhancing by Alison Williams)
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