The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a release that “Reji officially responded to Araqchi’s message,” clarifying that dialogue with Iran remains possible. However, he reiterated his proposal to hold a meeting between the two sides in a third neutral country to be agreed upon in advance. Reji expressed Lebanon’s readiness to “open a new page” of constructive relations with Iran, provided that it is based on mutual respect for each country’s sovereignty and independence, and non-interference in its internal affairs in any form or under any pretext.
He emphasized that “building a strong state requires that weapons be exclusively in the hands of the state and its national army, and that the state should have the final say in decisions of war and peace.” He affirmed that abstaining from visits does not mean rejecting discussions but is due to the absence of suitable conditions given the current circumstances.
Lebanese media reported that “Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Reji, in light of his statements on the exclusivity of weapons.” The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, at the time, stated on his “X” platform account that “the disarmament project is a clear conspiracy against the countries,” warning against “falling into the enemy’s trap.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun earlier affirmed that contentious issues, including the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons, are not to be addressed through the media. Following his meeting with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, Aoun stressed that “the Lebanese do not want war, and the Lebanese army is the only entity responsible for protecting the country’s sovereignty and independence.”
In turn, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, stated that the party. He added that “the characteristic of resistance in Lebanon is that it began with great and significant achievements, and the occupation would not have ended without the resistance,” as reported by the Lebanese “An-Nahar.”
The Secretary-General of Hezbollah sees “resistance as a reaction to occupation and in case the Lebanese state is unable to protect the land and citizens by itself.” The ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, lasting 60 days, came into effect on November 27, 2024, after more than a year of Hezbollah opening what it called a “support front for the Gaza sector” on October 8, 2023, in the aftermath of the attacks launched by the Palestinian Hamas movement.
The Israeli army was supposed to complete its withdrawal from the areas it occupied in southern Lebanon by the dawn of January 26, according to a deadline set in the agreement for 60 days. However, Israel did not adhere to the date, and Washington later announced an extension of the deadline with an Israeli-Lebanese agreement until February 18.
