Iran’s Top Diplomat: Palestinian Factions Haven’t Requested Our Intervention in the War

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets Ismail Haniyeh and Hamas officials in Doha (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets Ismail Haniyeh and Hamas officials in Doha (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
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Iran’s Top Diplomat: Palestinian Factions Haven’t Requested Our Intervention in the War

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets Ismail Haniyeh and Hamas officials in Doha (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets Ismail Haniyeh and Hamas officials in Doha (Iranian Foreign Ministry)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian informed the press on Saturday that Tehran has not received any request from Palestinian factions to enter the war.

This comes as the office of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei broke its silence regarding statements attributed to him during a meeting with the political bureau chief of Hamas earlier this month, where he emphasized that Iran did not directly enter the war due to not being informed about the Oct. 7 attack beforehand.
A Hezbollah-affiliated weekly released by Khamenei’s office dismissed a report by Reuters on the meeting between Khamenei and Ismail Haniyeh as fundamentally untrue.
The publication mentioned that while the Supreme Leader reaffirmed Iran’s consistent policy during the meeting with Haniyeh, Reuters falsely claimed blame was directed at Haniyeh for not informing Iran about the attack and asserted that Iran had no plans to enter the war.
Hamas had already denied the report on Thursday.
Reuters had attributed statements to three officials from Iran, Hamas, and informed sources on Wednesday, claiming that Khamenei had informed Haniyeh that Iran would not enter the war on behalf of Hamas since it was not informed about the Oct. 7 attack.
The sources also quoted Khamenei stating that Iran, a long-time supporter of Hamas, would continue providing political and moral support without direct intervention.
A Hamas official told Reuters that Khamenei urged Haniyeh to silence voices calling for Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, to join the battle against Israel with full force.
Nevertheless, Iran will do “whatever it takes” to help Hamas in its war with Israel, Iran’s Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani said in a message to top Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, state media reported on Thursday.
“We stand by our fraternal pledge that unites us and we assure you that we will do whatever it takes in this historic battle,” Qaani added in the letter, shared by Iranian state news agency IRNA.



Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
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Lebanese Govt. to Seek New IMF Program, Policy Statement Says

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas//File Photo

Lebanon's new government will negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a new program and will work to deal with the country's financial default and public debt, according to a policy statement approved by the cabinet late on Monday.

The statement, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, said the government would work for an economical revival that could only be achieved through restructuring the banking sector.

Lebanon has been in deep economic crisis since 2019, when its financial system collapsed under the weight of massive state debts, prompting a sovereign default in 2020 and freezing ordinary depositors out of their savings in the banking system.

Beirut reached a draft funding deal with IMF in 2022 - contingent on reforms that authorities failed to deliver.

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who took office as part of a new government agreed earlier this month, told Reuters an IMF mission is expected to visit Lebanon in March.

Jaber said he had met the IMF's resident representative in Lebanon, Frederico Lima, and confirmed that the government plans to move ahead with reforms.

Lebanon's political landscape has been turned on its head since the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, long a dominant player in Lebanese politics, was badly pummelled in last year's war with Israel.

Reflecting the shift in the power balance, the government policy statement did not include language used in previous years that was seen to legitimize a role for Hezbollah in defending Lebanon, saying instead "we want a state that has the decision of war and peace".

The statement said it was required to adopt a national security strategy and a foreign policy that works to 'neutralize' Lebanon from conflicts.

In the field of energy, the Lebanese government will seek to resume work in oil and gas exploration, according to the cabinet statement. It said the government planned to establish a Ministry of Technology and Artificial Intelligence.

With a new administration in neighboring Syria, the statement said the Lebanese government believed it has an opportunity to start a serious dialogue aimed at controlling and demarcating the borders and working to resolve the issue of displaced Syrians in Lebanon.