TEHRAN – Iran’s top security officer Ali Larijani continued his visit to Iraq on Tuesday, seeing facilities hosting Iranian pilgrims in Iraq after spending Monday at several high-level meetings with Arab state officials.
Larijani, recently appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), was seen offering tea to Iranian pilgrims visiting Iraq to commemorate Albain. Aaaain marks 40 days after Imam Hossein’s Mary Day (AS) and represents the world’s largest annual meeting, attracting millions of Karbala to Karbala, whom Imam Hossein was mary in his position with Yazid.
Following the previous day’s meeting with the Iraqi president, parliamentary leader and prime minister, the signing of a new joint security agreement between Tehran and Baghdad was carried out. The second day of Larijani was relatively quiet.
The veteran Iranian politician is set to return to Tehran after a stop in Beirut. The visit comes amid growing Western pressure on Hezbollah despite the group’s success against Israel in a 14-month war that also saw the assassination of the major Hezbollah figure by Israel.
The ceasefire agreement signed in November 2024 was intended to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israelis have violated the terms and carry out regular airstrikes in various parts of Lebanon.
Apart from halting the attack, the agreement provided for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon after the retreat of Hezbollah behind the Ritani River. However, after Hezbollah’s withdrawal, Israel has taken over at least five new regions in southern Lebanon, and is now calling for the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701. Hezbollah argues that the implementation of the resolution will only be discussed after Israel withdraws from Lebanon and fulfills its obligations under the ceasefire agreement.
However, the Lebanese government appears to have fallen under pressure from Israel and the West when potential disarmament in Hezbollah could prevent Israeli attacks. After a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced that the minister has “approved the “purpose” of the US proposal aimed at ensuring that arms possession is limited to the state alone. He did not address concerns about the possibility of increased Israeli aggression if there was no strong deterrent. Established in the early 1980s in response to Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah has served as an important and undeniable force in opposition to Israeli attacks alongside the Lebanese army in the past decades.
Israel is trying to justify its disarmament and disbandment by portraying Hezbollah as an Iranian “proxy.” This rejected countless claims by Iran during the presser Laryani, recently held in Baghdad.
“The nations of Iraq and Lebanon are wise and courageous. They don’t need to tell us what to do with them,” Larijani told the reporter’s room. “Iran is a friend of both countries and is engaged in mutual consultations, but does not issue commands.”
He spoke in particular to Hezbollah, saying, along with other resistance factions in the region, “has a highly developed political mindset and does not need to guardianship.”
Israel and the United States have made similar efforts to disarm Iraqi resistance facts. “Each of these groups is considered national assets in their respective countries and they fully understand the situation. They know what to do at a particular moment, and therefore I think they should devote all their efforts to maintain this ability,” Laryani pointed out.
By Soheila Zarfam