Lebanon rejects Iranian “interference” in internal affairs: PM

BEIRUT, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) — Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday slammed Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf’s recent remarks that Tehran is willing to assist in negotiating to implement a UN resolution on Lebanon.
In a rare rebuke of Iran, Mikati’s office issued a statement, expressing “surprise” at these remarks which it said amounted to “a blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an attempt to establish a rejected guardianship over Lebanon.”
Mikati also ordered Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib to summon Iran’s charge d’affaires in Beirut over the remarks made by Qalibaf, who, in an interview with France’s Le Figaro on Thursday, said Iran is open to negotiating with Paris on implementing UN Resolution 1701 in southern Lebanon.
Mikati stressed that such a negotiation is the prerogative of Lebanon, saying the country “is working with all friends, including France, to pressure Israel to cease fire.”
The prime minister made it clear that “the Lebanese state is handling the issue of negotiations to implement UN Resolution 1701, and everyone is required to support it in this direction, not to seek to impose new guardianships that are rejected over national and sovereign considerations.”
While there has been no comment from Qalibaf, an unnamed Iranian source close to Qalibaf denied the interpretation of the speaker’s remarks. The source told Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen TV that any collaboration between Iran and Europe is aimed at reaching a ceasefire backed by Lebanon’s government and Hezbollah.
Adopted in 2006, UN Resolution 1701 ended a 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah. It called for a cessation of hostilities, Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, and bolstering the UN Interim Force in Lebanon to monitor the ceasefire alongside the Lebanese army.
Since Sept. 23, the Israeli army has been launching intensive airstrikes on Lebanon in a sharp escalation with Hezbollah, raising concerns that other regional powers could become involved in the ongoing conflict.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted one year ago when Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets at Israel in support of Hamas at the start of the Gaza war. ■