Lebanese foreign minister turns down Iran’s invitation, proposes talks in 3rd country

By Betul Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) – Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi on Wednesday declined an Iranian invitation to visit Tehran for talks, calling for conducting the discussions in a third neutral country.

Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi invited Raggi to Tehran to discuss bilateral ties and regional and international developments.

In response to Araghchi, the Lebanese foreign minister, in a letter, said that Beirut is open to dialogue with Iran but in a third neutral country to be agreed upon.

“Favorable conditions are not currently available,” he added.

According to a Foreign Ministry statement, Raggi’s letter expressed Lebanon’s readiness to establish constructive relations with Iran, on the condition of “mutual respect for independence and sovereignty of each country, and non-interference in internal affairs in any form and under any pretext.”

Raggi added that his Iranian counterpart “will always be welcomed in Lebanon.”

In an earlier statement, Raggi decried remarks by Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in which he warned Lebanon against the outcomes of Hezbollah disarmament.

“What is more important to us than water and bread is our sovereignty, our freedom, and the independence of our internal decision-making,” Raggi added.

The Lebanese government on Aug. 5 approved a plan, based on a draft proposal presented by US Special Envoy Tom Barrack, to place all weapons—including those held by Hezbollah—under state control and tasked the army with implementing the plan before the end of 2025.

Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected the move and insists that Israeli forces must fully withdraw from Lebanese territory before laying down arms.