Larijani facilitates his visit to Beirut by meeting with the Lebanese President.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Special

Arab Sea - Follow-ups: The Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, began his visit to Lebanon on Wednesday with a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace. The Lebanese Presidency said that "Aoun received the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, with a delegation that included officials, advisors, and the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon." Larijani had affirmed after his arrival in Beirut that "the people of Lebanon are dear to Iran, and that Tehran will stand by them in all circumstances." Larijani's statements come amid varying Lebanese positions in light of previous Iranian statements opposing the disarmament of Hezbollah. Dozens of Hezbollah supporters lined the airport road, raising flags to greet Larijani upon his arrival. Experts say that Larijani's visit "is not a fleeting protocol step, but a direct political move to involve Tehran in the equation of Lebanese sovereignty... and a clear message that the decision on weapons is not a purely internal matter." Before Larijani's arrival in Beirut, the Deputy Head of the Political Council of Hezbollah, Mahmoud Qomati, reiterated his rejection of disarming the party and called on the government to retract the decision, saying that the government's proceeding with the decision could lead to strife. The advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, said on Saturday that his country opposes the Lebanese government's decision to disarm Hezbollah.