11/15/24
Messages to Syria, Lebanon carry Iran's support: Larijani - Exclusive
Ali Larijani, Senior Advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran, revealed that he carried messages to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
In an interview with Al Mayadeen on Friday, Larijani confirmed that the messages he carried were directly from the Leader of the Revolution and the Republic.
While refraining from disclosing specific details, the senior Iranian official emphasized that the content of the messages revolve around supporting the people and Resistance movements in both countries.
“These messages, originating from the Leader of the Revolution and the Islamic Republic, aim to bolster the Lebanese and Syrian peoples and their Resistance,” he stated.
Larijani underscored the importance of respecting diplomatic norms, leaving the decision to reveal the messages’ content to al-Assad and Berri.
“This is not about secrecy or danger but about respecting the recipients' prerogative to disclose or act upon the messages as they see fit."
Iran supports any decision by Lebanese government, Resistance
Regarding the American draft received by Berri to stop the aggression against Lebanon, Larijani affirmed that "Iran will support any decision made by the Lebanese government and the Resistance.”
He pointed out that the draft "could, in some of its points, lead to a future solution, provided that Washington and Israel do not attempt to interfere with it."
In the same context, Larijani added that "Hezbollah is a rational and logical party with many wise and politically mature leaders, and we trust them and their decisions," considering that "the Resistance is mature, both in its intellect and action."
"It does not need any advice from anyone; rather, it often offers guidance to others."
While Larijani viewed the Israeli political and military statements as having "propaganda aspects," he emphasized Iran's trust in "the awareness of the Resistance leaders."
The Iranian official underscored that "the battles being fought by the Resistance in southern Lebanon indicate the failure of the Zionists and their irrationality."
Larijani emphasized that "preserving the Lebanese people and their resistance is in our minds, and other parties must strive for that." He also underlined that the people and resistance in Lebanon "have shown how logical they are and possess great awareness and understanding of the situation."
A ‘New Middle East’ can only be at the hands of resistance fighters
Concerning the statements of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his quest to "reshape a new Middle East," the Iranian official said, "Netanyahu dreams of changing the Middle East, but with what power will he achieve this dream? Everything he relies on comes from America? What has he accomplished so far?”
“Netanyahu is dreaming big, let him dream,” he asserted.
He recalled that "during the 2006 July War on Lebanon, Condoleezza Rice tried sought to reshape the Middle East, but where is she now? What did she achieve?”
He stressed that "creating a new Middle East, as they say, is not in the hands of this or that, it can only be done by those who resist on the ground."
Great leaders are martyred and pave the way for other freedom fighters
On the martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Commander Yahya Sinwar and the subsequent situation of the Resistance in Lebanon and Palestine, Larijani said, "We are confident in victory, and the Israeli genocide in Gaza only created people of resistance and determination.”
He added, "We saw what Israel did, and we saw how Yahya Sinwar resisted them,” eventually leading to thousands of the likes of Sinwar."
He believed that "history repeats itself. Great people fight and are martyred and pave the way for new generations of freedom fighters,"
“Today, we see a great generation brought up under the guidance of Sayyed Nasrallah and Commander Soleimani; a generation of brave and capable leaders whom we take pride in,” Larijani asserted.
“This is the legacy of Nasrallah and Soleimani,” the Iranian advisor asserted, “which stands as a testament to Hezbollah’s ability to continually renew and strengthen its structure.”
The Iranian official also touched on Tehran's expected response to the recent Israeli aggression, saying, "The current circumstances are different from the past, as we bombed [Israel] with about 200 missiles by the occupation, but things are different now."
In another context, Larijani touched on the Israeli deliberate targeting of the press in Lebanon, where five Al Mayadeen staff were martyred since the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood and the opening of the support front from Lebanon.
He considered that this “indicates the malice of the Zionist enemy.”