TEHRAN – Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has publicly demanded that Lebanese President Michel Aoun release a video recording of his August meeting with Iranian Security Chief Ali Larijani, after Aoun previously claimed that he had made “very harsh” remarks to Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani during a meeting in Beirut.
The call for transparency was reported by Lebanese media al-Mayadeen on Tuesday night, which said the SNSC strongly refuted Aoun’s account of the encounter. “What has been published regarding the content of the meeting between the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and the Lebanese President is completely false and lacks accuracy,” the SNSC said in a statement.
Aoun told the Asas Media news portal that he used “very harsh” words against Larijani during the talks. “I told him that the Shiites in Lebanon were my responsibility, not his, but he got upset and left.” Aoun further claimed that Larijani later requested a follow-up appointment, which the president refused. Although the interview was quickly deleted, the remarks still made headlines in Farsi.
In a statement to Al-Mayadeen, the SNSC noted that Lebanese authorities recorded the encounter. “We believe that the Lebanese president has the complete video file of this meeting and that releasing it is sufficient to reveal the truth to everyone.”