Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati rejected Iranian intervention in Lebanese affairs after the speaker of the Iranian parliament announced Tehran's readiness to negotiate with France on the implementation of the UN resolution on southern Lebanon, Reuters reported, as quoted by BTA.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, called for the border area of southern Lebanon, south of the Litani River, to be free of arms or troops other than those of the Lebanese state or UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in order to maintain peace along the border with Israel.
Mikati described the Iranian parliament's statement as "clear interference" in Lebanese affairs and attempt to establish control over Lebanon. He emphasized that the negotiations on Resolution 1701 are the work of the Lebanese state. According to him, the UN Security Council has authorized UNIFIL to support the Lebanese forces in ensuring security in southern Lebanon, where there should be no armed personnel other than those of the Government of Lebanon.
Israel claims that the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL have failed to secure the border area. On October 1, Israeli forces launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon after almost a year of clashes with the pro-Iranian Shiite movement Hezbollah, which coincided with the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Recently, the UN Security Council expressed serious concern following the shelling of UNIFIL positions in southern Lebanon. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to withdraw UNIFIL peacekeepers. Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has announced that he wants a stronger mandate for UNIFIL to deter "Hezbollah". The peacekeeping mission currently has a mandate until August 31, 2025.