Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi delivered a firm message to his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, denouncing the involvement of Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon, in an interview with Sky News Arabia on Monday.
According to Raggi, Hamas’s support for the war brought Lebanon “destruction, death, and suffering,” noting that the ceasefire announcement came “in Israel’s favor, as the winning side.” He said the agreement goes beyond a halt to hostilities and requires the withdrawal of Hezbollah’s weapons.
The minister also criticized Iran’s role, stating that “Iran arms an armed faction, while the United States supports the Lebanese army.”
Addressing Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general Naim Qassem directly, Raggi stressed that “the Shia are a fundamental component of Lebanon and are not threatened by anyone.” He added that “Hezbollah’s weapons protect neither the Shia nor Lebanon,” instead becoming “a burden on the Shia community and on the country as a whole.”
Comments