Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told an Iranian delegation on Sunday that his country is “tired of others fighting their wars on its territories.”
The delegation was in Beirut to attend the funeral of Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, who were killed last year during Israel’s latest war against the Iran-backed group. The delegation included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Ghalibaf conveyed to Aoun the greetings of President Masoud Pezeshkian and invited him to visit Tehran. He also congratulated him on his election as president.
He said relations between Lebanon and Iran must be developed in all fields.
Moreover, he underscored Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, saying Iran was ready to work with Arab and Islamic countries to reconstruct what Israel destroyed during the war.
“Iran wants to see a stable, secure and prosperous Lebanon,” he stressed. “It will support any decision Lebanon takes, away from foreign interference in its affairs.”
For his part, Aoun stated: “Lebanon has for long decades lost major leaders and during Israel’s latest aggression, it lost martyrs who were defending its unity and stability.”
“Lebanon has grown tired of others fighting their wars on its territories. I agree with you about not meddling in the internal affairs of other countries. The best way to confront any loss or aggression lies in the Lebanese people’s unity,” he declared.
He also cited Article 9 of the Iranian constitution that says the freedom of the country, its independence and territorial integrity are indivisible.
The government and all members of society are responsible for preserving them. No individual or group has the right to harm the political, cultural, economic, or military independence of the country or undermine its territorial unity under the pretext of practicing their freedom, Aoun continued.
Moreover, he noted the latest Riyadh summit, which Iran attended. He highlighted the summit’s underscoring of the two-state solution to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and that the Palestinian Authority is the legitimate representative of the Palestinians.
“Lebanon has paid a very heavy price for defending the Palestinian cause,” he went on to say, hoping that a just solution would be reached.
