Iran's Zarif Will Visit Lebanon To Hold Talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) greets his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem in Tehran, February 5, 2019

Iranian government’s official news agency IRNA reports that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will soon travel to Beirut and meet with officials of the newly formed Lebanese government.

IRNA quotes Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon as saying, “The foreign minister will arrive Sunday evening and will meet Lebanese officials on Monday."

This comes two days after Islamic Republic’s ally, Shiite Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah praised Iran as the strongest military power in the region, in a long speech. He also said, "If America launches war on Iran, it will not be alone in the confrontation, because the fate of our region is tied to the Islamic Republic”.

Nasrallah also asked the newly formed Lebanese government for approval to import Iranian air-defense systems for the army to use against Israeli warplanes.

The Lebanese government formed after eight months of political impasse is headed by Sunni politician Saad Hariri.