Iranian deputy minister tells Beirut to 'arm everyone' instead of disarming Hezbollah

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh, visiting Beirut this week, urged the Lebanese government to "arm everyone" rather than remove weapons, he told Al-Jadeed TV, according to Naharnet. He said any decision on Hezbollah joining a new Iran-Israel war would rest with the group, not Tehran.

Khatibzadeh met Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah's leadership, Asharq Al-Awsat reported. He told journalists that negotiations with Israel are "pointless" and that "the resistance will remain" as long as Israel occupies parts of the south.

The visit comes after a row over the credentials of Iran's ambassador to Lebanon. Sources quoted by Asharq Al-Awsat said his tone contrasted with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's call to President Joseph Aoun and amounted to interference that most Lebanese reject.

The remarks come days after Lebanon's own foreign minister asked Iran to stop arming and funding Hezbollah, and after the government affirmed that decisions of war and peace belong to the state alone.