Iranian FM Holds Talks With Hezbollah Officials In Lebanon

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, in Lebanon, on September 1, 2023.
Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, in Lebanon, on September 1, 2023.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian engaged in discussions with Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Media outlets with close ties to Hezbollah have not provided additional information about the nature and outcomes of the meeting.

Amir-Abdollahian also held discussions with the Speaker of Lebanon's Parliament Nabih Berri.

The visit to Lebanon follows a two-day visit to Syria, where Amir-Abdollahian held talks with President Bashar al-Assad to discuss the importance of strengthening regional ties. Whilst in Damascus, Amir-Abdollahian also commended the recent developments in Iran-Saudi relations, emphasizing their “mutual benefits and regional significance”.

The FM’s trip to both Syria and Lebanon coincides with ongoing reports of Israeli attacks on quasi-military groups affiliated with the Islamic Republic in Syria.

During a press conference, Amir-Abdollahian called for the withdrawal of US troops from the region and criticized Israeli airstrikes targeting sites in Syria, warning that such actions would inevitably invite retaliatory measures. “No party is capable of blocking historic transportation routes,” he said.

Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes on targets in government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, often targeting Iranian-backed armed groups and concentrations of Iranian weaponry transferred to Syria.

Tehran has been a staunch supporter of Bashar al-Assad's government since the eruption of the Syrian civil war in 2011. Iran has provided both military and financial backing, deploying its own military personnel, Lebanese Hezbollah, and militias from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan to bolster President Assad's forces in their battle against opposition groups.