The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, left today for a visit to Iraq, followed by a visit to Lebanon, Iranian state television reported, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reports.
“Ali Larijani is leaving today for Iraq and then for Lebanon for a three-day visit, his first trip abroad since taking office last week,“ the state media reported.
The visit to Lebanon comes at a critical time after the Lebanese government ordered the army to draw up a plan to disarm the Iranian-backed Shiite movement “Hezbollah“ by the end of year.
“In this specific context, we are holding talks with Lebanese leaders and influential figures“, Larijani said on television, without giving details.
The Supreme National Security Council, of which Larijani is secretary, is a strategic body responsible for determining Iran's defense and security policy.
On Saturday, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Tehran “categorically“ opposes the Lebanese government's decision to disarm “Hezbollah“.
In response, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry condemned Iran's “blatant and unacceptable interference“ in the country's internal affairs.
On Wednesday, Tehran said it would support any decision taken by “Hezbollah“, which has been significantly weakened after the last war with Israel and the fall of its former ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria, notes AFP.