Iran underlines Lebanon’s stability, supports new government formation

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahinan has underlined the significance of Lebanon’s security and stability in the West Asia region, expressing the Islamic Republic’s support for the election of a president and new government in the Arab country.

Amir-Abdollahinan made the statement in a meeting with Lebanese Parliament speaker Nabih Berri in the capital Beirut on Friday as he pointed to the “key importance” of Lebanon's stability and security for Iran and the entire region.

“The election of the president and the formation of the new government of Lebanon is very important, and of course, this issue is within the jurisdiction of the nation and the political leaders of Lebanon,” the top Iranian diplomat said.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran supports your efforts as the speaker of the parliament and the Lebanese political currents to elect the president,” he added.

Amir-Abdollahinan also praised Berri's outstanding role in Lebanon's political arena and said, “We are confident that the Lebanese leaders will make the best decision at the best time.”

Berri, for his part, stressed the issue of presidency as the “most important” issue in his country, saying, “Efforts to reach an agreement between the Lebanese parties continue in this field.”

The Lebanese Parliament speaker added, “Lebanon is a rich country and if the president is elected, [it] can get out of the current difficult economic conditions in a short period of time.”

Emphasizing that the most important reason behind the pressure on Lebanon is the resistance movement, Berri said, “The resistance is supporting Lebanon against threats, and is standing alongside the army as the main pillar of Lebanon's security.”

Later in the day, Amir-Abdollahian also met with Secretary General of Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, discussing the latest developments in the Arab country and the West Asia region.

Amir-Abdollahian arrived at Beirut International Airport on Thursday afternoon and said Tehran desires nothing other than welfare, stability and peace for Lebanon.

Addressing reporters, the top Iranian diplomat went on to call upon all Lebanese political factions to break a political deadlock that has gripped the country for months and pick a president through dialogue and understanding.

Former President Michel Aoun's term ended in October of 2022 and since then, the nation's lawmakers have been unable to reach an agreement as to who should replace him and assume the presidency.

Since that time, according to Lebanese constitutional law, Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati's transitional cabinet, a caretaker government with limited powers, has been to some extent carrying out the duties of the president in the Lebanese government.

The political stalemate in Lebanon’s parliament has been exacerbated by destructive meddling by ill-wishing foreign states, particularly the United States.

Lebanon has been mired in a deep financial crisis since late 2019 which has caused its national currency, the Lebanese pound, to lose around 90 percent of its value against the USD, resulting in the collapse of Lebanon’s banking system.

The ensuing economic crisis has plunged a large portion of the Lebanese population into poverty.

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