Lebanese FM Raggi turns down Iranian invite to Tehran

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi on Wednesday declined an invitation to visit Iran, which backs militant group Hezbollah, proposing a meeting with his Iranian counterpart in a neutral third country.

Under heavy US pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon's government committed in August to disarming Hezbollah, which was heavily weakened politically and militarily after a recent war with Israel.

Tehran has said it is opposed to the move, which Hezbollah has also rejected.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier this month invited Raggi to Iran "to consult on the development of bilateral relations and review regional and international developments", an Iranian foreign ministry statement said at the time.

Raggi said on Wednesday: "I stated that I could not accept his invitation to visit Tehran under the current circumstances."

"This does not mean a refusal to engage in dialogue, but rather that the conditions are not conducive to this visit," he wrote in a statement on X.

He said he invited Araghchi "to meet in a neutral third country that we both agree on".

He also expressed readiness "to open a new chapter" in bilateral relations "based strictly on mutual respect for each country's independence and sovereignty, and on non-interference in each other's internal affairs".

Araghchi is "always welcome to visit Lebanon", Raggi added.

Hezbollah is part of Iran's so-called "axis of resistance" - a network of armed groups in the region, including Hamas in Gaza and Yemen's Houthi rebels, united in their opposition to Israel.

Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire, mainly saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites and operatives, and has maintained troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems strategic.

In November, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps called for revenge after an Israeli strike on south Beirut killed Hezbollah's top military commander.

Earlier the same month, Washington urged authorities to end "the malign influence of Iran through Hezbollah".