No group in Lebanon is allowed to carry weapons or rely on foreign support, President Joseph Aoun told a senior Iranian official on Wednesday. The statement came days after the cabinet approved the goals of a U.S.-backed roadmap to disarm the Iran-aligned group “Hezbollah“, “Reuters“ reports, BTA reports.
During a meeting in Beirut with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's top security service, Aoun warned against foreign interference in Lebanon's internal affairs. He stressed that the country is open to cooperation with Iran, but only within the framework of national sovereignty and based on mutual respect.
“The friendship we seek with Iran must be with all Lebanese, not just through one sect or political component“, the president said, quoted in an official statement from his office.
Aoun added that some recent statements by Iranian officials were not helpful, and affirmed that only the army, not “Hezbollah“, has the right to defend Lebanon.