“Lebanon is at a critical juncture, and we hope that the new Lebanese government, led by Dr. Hassan Diab, can overcome all the difficulties,” Larijani told reporters at a press conference in Beirut on Monday.
“We are fully prepared to cooperate with the Lebanese government in all areas,” he said. “The brotherly country of Lebanon has been able to pass a critical stage after the formation of the new government, and we are ready to cooperate with it.”
“Our responsibility requires us to side with Lebanon,” the Iranian parliament speaker went on to say.
In late January, after weeks of nationwide protests that brought down former prime minister Saad Hariri, Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun tapped Hassan Diab, a university professor backed by Hezbollah, to lead the new government.
In a statement on January 26, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi congratulated Lebanon on the formation of the new government.
The Iranian spokesman voiced full support for the new Lebanese government, and reaffirmed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s readiness to further broaden relations between Tehran and Beirut.