BEIRUT, Lebanon, Nov. 15 (UPI) — Ali Larijani, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said Friday that his country was not “sabotaging” efforts to achieve a Hezbollah-Israel cease-fire and will back any decision made by the Lebanese government and the Tehran-backed militant group.
“We will approve and support any decision by the Lebanese resistance [Hezbollah] and the Lebanese government,” Larijani told reporters after holding talks with House Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Asked whether his visit to Beirut was meant to obstruct efforts led by the United States for achieving a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian envoy said, “we are not seeking to sabotage anything, but rather we want to solve the problem.”
He added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his aides were the ones who “are sabotaging” current cease-fire talks to end the war between the two enemies.
Voicing support for Lebanon and its resistance “under all circumstances,” he said, “You must distinguish between your friends and your enemies.”
Larijani’s visit to Beirut came at a time Israel continued to pound Beirut’s southern suburbs and other Hezbollah-controlled areas in southern Lebanon, flattening more buildings and inflicting casualties.
On Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson handed Berri, who is negotiating on behalf of Hezbollah, a draft truce proposal to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanon has been waiting for weeks to receive Washington’s written proposal that was previously discussed with U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein.
Cease-fire talks have been focusing on the complete implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, but has not been fully respected by both parties since.
The resolution calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah and for the Army and U.N. peacekeeping troops to be the only force in charge of security in the southern border area.
Israel has been trying to impose new conditions to secure more enforcement mechanisms and prevent Hezbollah’s rearming and funding. Lebanon rejected the Israeli conditions for they violate Lebanon’s sovereignty and insisted on the implementation of Resolution 1701 as is.
According to the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese Al Akhbar newspaper, Israel wants “international guarantees” that Hezbollah would not rearm and that all its military infrastructure be dismantled.
The Lebanese Army, reinforced by the U.N. peacekeeping force, was to deploy additional forces in southern Lebanon and was to supervise the border crossings and maritime and air facilities.
Larijani said he discussed the implementation of Resolution 1701 with Berri, “who gave new details.”
He also confirmed handing the House speaker a letter from Khamenei and dismissed “as a joke” accusations of Iran abandoning Hezbollah.
Lebanon has yet to reply to the U.S. cease-fire proposals, with Israeli officials saying it could come within days, according to Israeli media reports.
Berri told the Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper Friday evening that the U.S. cease-fire proposal does not include “any kind of free movement for the Israeli Army” in Lebanon or the deployment of foreign troops.
“The U.S. and others know that this is unacceptable and cannot be even discussed in principle,” he said, emphasizing that Lebanon cannot accept “any harm to its sovereignty.”
The Lebanese House speaker disclosed that the proposal includes one part that is “not acceptable,” and that is the formation of a committee made up of several Western countries to supervise the implementation of Resolution 1701.
Berri said there were ongoing discussions “now over an alternative to the proposed mechanism” in the U.S. cease-fire proposal, which Lebanon rejects.
Referring to the U.N. peacekeeping force, which has been supervising the implementation of Resolution 1701 since it was adopted in 2006, he said “there is a clear existing mechanism with no objection to reactivate it.”
“Work is going well, the atmosphere is positive,” Berri said, adding that the return of Hochstein to Beirut depends on the progress to be made during the negotiations.
A well-informed source told UPI “there is no big obstacle, and the door is open” to more negotiations but “we are not yet at the end” to achieve a cease-fire agreement.
The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump gave his approval to the outline of the agreement under negotiation and expressed hope that it could be implemented before he takes office Jan. 20.
On Thursday, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said his country was closer to reaching a ceasefire agreement than it had been since the start of the war but insists on having the freedom to act inside Lebanon in case of violations.
