Iranian FM from Beirut: War Not the Solution in Gaza

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is pictured upon his arrival in Beirut on Friday. (Reuters)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is pictured upon his arrival in Beirut on Friday. (Reuters)
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Iranian FM from Beirut: War Not the Solution in Gaza

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is pictured upon his arrival in Beirut on Friday. (Reuters)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is pictured upon his arrival in Beirut on Friday. (Reuters)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Friday that Lebanon's security is integral to Iran and the region, stressing that Tehran “will continue its strong support for the resistance and Lebanon.”

Speaking upon his arrival in Beirut, he said Israel has not achieved any of its declared goals months after its attack on Gaza and the West Bank.

He added that the “achievements that have been made so far are credited to the resistance in Lebanon, Palestine and the region.”

Palestinian and Lebanese resistance political and military leaders have carried out their work with all insight and knowledge, he went on to say.

Moreover, he said: “The victory of the resistance in Palestine has put on the table a political project that includes Hamas. We have frankly told the US that it should not support the genocide committed by the Zionists against Gaza and the crimes they are committing in the West Bank.”

“We have loudly declared since the beginning of this crisis that war is not the solution,” Amirabdollahian said. “The US’ continued support to the Zionist entity and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu will only lead to their failure, which is unfolding right now.”

Moreover, he said Israel is seeking to “drag America into the quagmire of war in the Middle East.”

Amirabdollahian stressed that the US must cease its support for Israel, adding that “Hezbollah and the resistance in Lebanon have fulfilled their deterrent and influential role with all courage and wisdom.”

The FM met with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Friday and caretaker Prime Minster Najib Mikati on Saturday. He is set to meet with Speaker Nabih Berri and his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bouhabib later in the day.

Lebanon is witnessing intense diplomatic activity aimed at preventing the spillover of Israel’s war on Gaza. Hezbollah and Israel have waged clashes on the southern border since the eruption of the conflict in October.

Israel has threatened to wage a largescale war on Lebanon if the diplomatic efforts fail in convincing Hezbollah to move its fighters north of the Litani River.



Ex-Tunisian Minister Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

Former Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Former Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Ex-Tunisian Minister Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

Former Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Former Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Criminal Chamber specialized in financial corruption cases at the Court of First Instance of Tunis, sentenced on Friday former Environment Minister Riadh Mouakher to three years in prison, the Tunisian official news agency, TAP, reported.
The ruling is part of a corruption case related to breaches in a transaction carried out by the former minister for the purchase of several vehicles.
Investigation showed that the tender conditions were allegedly manipulated in favor of one particulate supplier.
In addition to Mouakher, the Chamber condemned a civil protection executive, seconded to the Environment Ministry, to two years in prison.
The two defendants are found guilty of abusing their functions to obtain an undue advantage, and therefore causing harm to the administration and contravening the regulations in force.
On Thursday, the Criminal Chamber specialized in corruption cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance sentenced a security officer to three years in prison and four others to four years in prison on charges of abusing their functions to obtain an undue advantage and harm others.
The five security officers had formed a group for the purpose of attacking property and exploiting a public employee.
According to documents related to the case, surveillance activities revealed that the five defendants, who work at a central department, were involved in seizing private funds, giving night jobs to some department agents, and transferring the profits to their personal accounts.
Their case was first examined by the Financial Chamber, which decided to sentence the five security guards to prison.
The case was later referred to the Criminal Chamber that examines financial corruption cases. The chamber had earlier kept the five defendants at liberty, before issuing late on Thursday the prison sentences.