Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he will gladly accept an invitation from his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Raji to visit Beirut, stressing that Tehran also seeks “a new chapter” in bilateral relations.
The announcement followed Raji’s decision earlier this month to decline an invitation to Tehran, where Araghchi had asked him to discuss bilateral ties. “While grateful to Youssef Raji for his kind invitation, his decision not to welcome Iran’s reciprocation of his warm hospitality is bemusing,” Araghchi said in a post on X.
The exchange comes against the backdrop of sharp disagreements over Hezbollah. Lebanon’s government, under Western pressure, is pushing for the group’s disarmament, while Iran insists Hezbollah is vital to counter Israeli aggression. Beirut has accused Tehran of interfering in its internal affairs.
In a written statement published by Lebanon’s foreign ministry on X, Raji said his refusal to travel to Tehran “does not mean rejecting discussion,” but added that “the favorable conditions are not available.” He renewed his invitation for Araghchi to meet in “a neutral third country to be agreed upon.”
Araghchi rejected the idea of a neutral venue, saying foreign ministers of nations with “brotherly and full diplomatic relations” should not require such arrangements. “Subjected to Israeli occupation and blatant ceasefire violations, I fully understand why my esteemed Lebanese counterpart is not prepared to visit Tehran,” he said.
Raji emphasized Lebanon’s readiness to establish “a new phase of constructive relations” with Iran, but only if ties were based “exclusively on mutual respect and absolute respect for the independence and sovereignty of each country and non-interference in internal affairs under any pretext.”
He added that “building any strong state cannot happen unless the state alone, through its national army, holds the exclusive right to carry arms and the sole authority over decisions of war and peace.”
Araghchi welcomed the conditions outlined by Raji, saying Iran also seeks “a new chapter” in relations “based on the precise principles FM Raji outlines.”
