A senior Iranian official in a visit to Beirut blessed efforts to reach a US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in one of the clearest signs yet Tehran wants to wrap up a year of conflict there.
Ali Larijani is a personal envoy of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his meetings with senior Lebanese officials come as the United States has stepped up efforts toward a ceasefire.
Larijani told reporters his presence was not aimed at obstructing that initiative.
"We are not looking to sabotage anything. We are after a solution to the problems," he said. "We support in all circumstances the Lebanese government."
Larijani met with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Hezbollah-aligned Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss a ceasefire, according to a tweet from the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon.
Larijani also carried a personal message from the Supreme Leader to Berri, according to Iranian state media, the contents of which were not disclosed.
Mikati, speaking on the same day, stressed Lebanon’s commitment to fully implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 without amendments. The resolution, adopted to end the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, calls for southern Lebanon to remain free of weapons outside state control.
Currently, a US-brokered proposal is under discussion that would require Hezbollah to relocate its forces and weapons north of the Litani River, about 18 miles from the Israeli border, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Lebanese military and United Nations peacekeepers would be tasked with preventing the group’s return. Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer briefed Donald Trump on the plan at Mar-a-Lago, with Trump endorsing the proposal and expressing hope for its implementation before his inauguration on January 20.
Meanwhile, Iran appears to be extending an olive branch—or at least a strategic handshake—on multiple fronts. Last month, the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament indicated Tehran’s willingness to negotiate with France to implement UN resolutions concerning southern Lebanon.
On Thursday, Iranian President Mohammad Pezeshkian expressed Iran’s willingness to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to address questions about its nuclear program.
A senior Iranian official said that Tehran would send a message to three European powers through visiting IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi emphasizing Iran’s seriousness about resolving its nuclear standoff with the West, Reuters reported Thursday.