Lebanon’s National Initiative Movement Calls for Confronting Iranian Infiltration

Lebanon’s National Initiative Movement calls for confronting Iranian meddling in the region. (NNA)
Lebanon’s National Initiative Movement calls for confronting Iranian meddling in the region. (NNA)
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Lebanon’s National Initiative Movement Calls for Confronting Iranian Infiltration

Lebanon’s National Initiative Movement calls for confronting Iranian meddling in the region. (NNA)
Lebanon’s National Initiative Movement calls for confronting Iranian meddling in the region. (NNA)

Lebanon’s National Initiative Movement warned on Saturday that the security of the country and other Arab states has for years been the victim of an ongoing offensive led by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and its affiliated militias, starting with “Hezbollah.”

It therefore called for a national “rise” to fortify the Taef Accord, constitution and coexistence and to confront destabilizing practices on the national and Arab scenes.

The Movement, which was formed in September, condemned “Hezbollah’s” internal and foreign policies and repeated Iranian assaults and conspiracies against Arab security, noting that the majority of these attacks have been launched from Lebanon.

“The previous Lebanese governments had at every Iranian attack inside Lebanon or against Arab neighbors claimed ignorance,” it added.

It singled out the Baabda Declaration, announced in 2011 during the term of former President Michel Suleiman, as one of the only example of confronting Iranian meddling. The Declaration calls for disassociating Lebanon from regional crises.

“Soon after however, ‘Hezbollah’, which had initially agreed to the Declaration, violated it and headed towards fighting the Syrian people and behind them all the Arabs,” continued the National Initiative Movement in a statement.

The Iranian violations continued during the term of current President Michel Aoun, who had repeatedly announced that “Hezbollah” was needed in southern Lebanon, which is a “blatant” violation of international resolutions that protect Lebanon.

It also condemned his repeated declarations that “the party’s militia was needed until the crisis in the Middle East was over.”

The Movement hailed Saudi Arabia for resorting to the Arab League and international community in order to defend its security and that of the Arabs against “Iranian militia infiltration.” It noted how Riyadh had confronted Iranian sabotage attempts in each of Bahrain, Kuwait and Yemen.

The statement stressed that it is “no longer acceptable that Lebanon remain a danger to itself and its Arab brothers.”



Iran Turns to Moscow and Beijing to Thwart ‘Snapback’ Sanctions Threat

Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi met in Beijing on July 13 (Reuters)
Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi met in Beijing on July 13 (Reuters)
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Iran Turns to Moscow and Beijing to Thwart ‘Snapback’ Sanctions Threat

Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi met in Beijing on July 13 (Reuters)
Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi met in Beijing on July 13 (Reuters)

Iran is turning to Russia and China in a bid to head off the potential reimposition of international sanctions, amid escalating tensions over its nuclear program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held talks with his Chinese and Russian counterparts to discuss the future of the nuclear accord and the possibility that the European troika could trigger the “snapback” mechanism.

Iranian state media reported on Monday that Araghchi arrived in Beijing at the head of an official delegation to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s foreign ministers. The trip comes as debate intensifies within Iran over the stances of Moscow and Beijing, particularly in the aftermath of the recent conflict between Iran and Israel.

Speaking at a press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei stressed that Gulf security remains a priority for China.

“Araghchi’s visit follows an official invitation from the Chinese Foreign Minister,” he said, adding that the Iranian diplomat will hold bilateral meetings Tuesday on the sidelines of the gathering.

Baghaei emphasized Tehran’s ongoing coordination with both Russia and China, who are parties to the nuclear deal.

“Russia and China have consistently expressed their readiness to play a constructive role in the process related to Iran’s nuclear file, and this continues,” he noted. “We have longstanding, friendly relations with both countries and a strategic partnership.”

Addressing reports that Moscow has privately urged Tehran to halt uranium enrichment, Baghaei said: “We have not received any specific proposal from Russia on this matter.”

In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed Iran’s nuclear issue with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, alongside other bilateral and international topics.

Meanwhile, Moscow on Sunday denounced a report claiming President Vladimir Putin had urged Iran to accept a deal with the United States that would bar it from enriching uranium. Russia’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the claim as “defamation” aimed at inflaming tensions over the Iranian nuclear program.

According to the American outlet Axios, sources familiar with the issue said Putin recently pressed Iran to agree to “zero enrichment.”

But Russia rebuffed the report as baseless, insisting its position is well known: "Invariably and repeatedly, we have emphasized the necessity of resolving the crisis concerning Iran's nuclear program exclusively through political and diplomatic means, and expressed our willingness to help find mutually acceptable solutions," the ministry statement read.

It added that Moscow stands ready to help broker mutually acceptable solutions.

Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has strengthened its ties with Tehran. While publicly backing Iran’s right to enrich uranium, Putin has reportedly adopted a tougher line behind closed doors following the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran.

According to European and Israeli officials, Moscow has encouraged Tehran to accept a “zero enrichment” compromise and shared this position with Israeli authorities. “We know this is what Putin told the Iranians,” a senior Israeli official confirmed.

Last week, Putin is said to have relayed his stance in calls with US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.