Ali Akbar Velayati Says Hezbollah Is Lebanon’s Pillar And Guarantor Of Independence

Ali Akbar Velayati, the Supreme Leader's international affairs adviser, said in a post on the X platform that Hezbollah in Lebanon is, in his words, the pillar of the tent and the real guarantor of Lebanon's existence and independence.

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Al-Manar TV Lebanon

In the same set of positions, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stressed that implementing the Lebanon-related clause in the memorandum of understanding with the United States represents a fundamental condition for reaching a lasting agreement and achieving stability in the region.

Al-Manar TV Lebanon

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said ending Israeli military operations against Lebanon is necessary to establish security and stability and called for Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territories it described as occupied.

The Lebanese track of negotiations is described as having been hosted by Washington since April, with five rounds of talks in Washington addressing complex security and political files, most notably cementing a ceasefire and the south's arrangements.

The Reuters-linked account also says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister Yisrael Katz announced a ceasefire in Lebanon without withdrawing from areas controlled by the Israeli army while stressing that Israel will respond to any violation of the ceasefire by Hezbollah.

Ali Akbar Velayati’s remarks were also framed as Iran’s continued support for Hezbollah as a senior adviser to the Iranian Supreme Leader told Hezbollah's representative in Tehran, according to the IRNA official news agency.

Tehran’s position was described as coming as the Lebanese government is under intense pressure from the United States to disarm Hezbollah, weakened by a war with Israel, while Iran voiced its opposition to this measure.

Ici Beyrouth

The Ici Beyrouth account quotes Velayati saying, "Hezbollah, as one of the most important pillars of the front of the resistance, plays a fundamental role in confronting Zionism," during a meeting with Hezbollah's representative in Tehran.

It adds that Lebanon has committed to disarming the movement, starting with the south of the country, where it historically exercised strong influence, and that Velayati recently drew strong criticism in Beirut after saying at the end of November that the existence of Hezbollah is more essential for Lebanon than daily bread.

In response, Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said on X that what matters more to us than water and bread is our sovereignty, our freedom and the independence of our internal decisions.

The Ici Beyrouth account says Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, officially invited his Lebanese counterpart to come to Tehran for discussions, and that Raggi declined the invitation and described Iran's role in the region as extremely negative and a source of instability, particularly in Lebanon.

“(Tehran) Iran will continue to resolutely support Hezbollah, its ally in Lebanon, in its efforts to confront Israel, Tehran's regional enemy, a senior adviser to the Iranian Supreme Leader said on Sunday”

La Presse

It also says Raggi attributed to Iran the fact that Hezbollah has not been disarmed and argued that Hezbollah cannot lay down its arms without an Iranian decision, with its concern to buy time and preserve itself domestically in order to rebuild its power.

Separately, the Lebanon Debate account ties the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s stance to a demand for a timetable for an unconditional withdrawal from Lebanese territory and urges continued pressure to implement the commitments in the memorandum of understanding on Lebanon.

The same account places the positions in the context of American efforts to reduce tensions and reach more sustainable understandings after the fifth round of talks in Washington.

Al-Manar TV Lebanon, in turn, presents Velayati’s X post as declaring Hezbollah the true protector of Lebanon’s sovereignty, quoting: “After years of diplomatic experience, I say, ‘Freedom without political independence is a golden cage’; Hezbollah is the pillar of the tent and the true guardian of Lebanon’s existence and independence.”