Caretaker Prime Minister Nagib Mikati slammed statements made by the President of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Ghalibaf, declaring himself "surprised by his stance, which constitutes a scandalous interference in Lebanese affairs."
Iranian Parliament Speaker, Mohammed Ghalibav, on Friday, expressed Tehran’s readiness to negotiate with Paris over the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, “as a prerequisite for the return of peace.”
In an exclusive interview with the French daily Le Figaro while on a vist to Geneva, he said “we believe that Iran will be ready to negotiate concretely on the procedures for implementing Resolution 1701 with France,” pointing out that “Paris will act as a mediator between Hezbollah and Israel.”
According to the newspaper, Ghalibav, who wants a ceasefire as soon as possible in southern Lebanon, calls for the deployment of the Lebanese army along Lebanon’s border with Israel.
"We see a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel, a glimmer that shows that Iran is ready to negotiate with France, the state that traditionally protects Lebanon, on tangible conditions for the implementation of UN Resolution 1701" added the Iranian Speaker.
"We are surprised by this statement, which constitutes a blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an attempt to establish an unacceptable guardianship over Lebanon," Mr. Mikati emphasized. He added, "We informed the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chairman of the Shura Council during their recent visits to Lebanon about the need to take into account the situation in Lebanon, especially as the country is facing an unprecedented Israeli aggression, and that we are working with all friendly countries, including France, to pressure Israel for a ceasefire."
Mikati also made clear that “the issue of negotiating the implementation of international resolution 1701 is handled by the Lebanese state,” affirming that it is unacceptable to seek to impose new mandates that are rejected by all national and sovereign considerations.
Mikati tasked the outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdallah Bou Habib, with summoning the Iranian Chargé d'Affaires in Lebanon in protest.
Until recently, Mohammad Ghalibaf, 63, President of the Iranian Parliament, was not known on the international stage. The former war pilot during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and former Mayor of Tehran (2005-2017) drew the attention of the Lebanese on October 12 when he landed his plane himself at Beirut International Airport and headed to the southern suburbs to inspect the damage inflicted by Israeli raids on the area.
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