TEHRAN – Tehran moved to calm diplomatic waters on Thursday after Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, firmly reiterated the Islamic Republic’s unwavering respect for Lebanese sovereignty, following what appeared to be an excessive and unexpected reaction from Lebanon’s top diplomat to an Iranian politician’s warning about the whittling away of Lebanon’s defense prowess in the face of continued Israeli aggression.

In a written message to his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Rajji, Araghchi touched upon age-old and cordial relations between the two countries, according to a statement released by Iran’s foreign ministry.

“He stressed Iran’s ongoing support for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and its national unity as well as security and stability in the country, especially in the face of the Israeli regime’s acts of aggression,” the statement read.

Araghchi also invited Rajji to visit Tehran for talks on the expansion of bilateral ties, as well as regional and international developments.

The invitation marked the second time Iran's foreign minister has asked his Lebanese counterpart to visit in the past weeks; the first occurred after Rajji stated in an interview with Arab media that he wanted to sit down with Araghchi and negotiate, despite the long-standing close contacts between the two countries. Multiple Iranian officials, including Araghchi, have visited Beirut and met with the country's leadership this year, a common occurrence in previous years as well.

After extending the first invitation, Araghchi said he would be happy to discuss bilateral ties with his Lebanese counterpart, adding that Iran does not wish to speak on or intervene in Lebanon's internal affairs. Rajji did not respond to the invitation but later took to X to tell Araghchi that an Iranian politician's recent warning about the dangers of decreasing Lebanon's military prowess was tantamount to meddling.

Ali Akbar Velayati, former foreign minister and current foreign policy advisor to Iran's Leader, had said in an interview that disarming Hezbollah at Washington's request, while the U.S. is unwilling to ensure Israel abides by a 2024 ceasefire, would be very dangerous, as Hezbollah is a "pillar of Lebanon's defense."

Hezbollah was formed in 1982 during the Israeli occupation of Lebanon. It managed to force Israeli forces out of the country after the Lebanese military had struggled to stand up to the regime. Hezbollah is still believed to be more powerful than the Lebanese army, which receives its arms and training from Western patrons of Israel.

Lebanese authorities have not managed to force Israel to abide by the 2024 ceasefire that the regime has been violating on an almost daily basis. Israeli airstrikes have killed dozens of Lebanese people since last November. Hezbollah has so far refrained from responding to these violations, appearing to want the government to take responsibility for the matter.

The Lebanese foreign minister's remarks on “Iranian meddling” drew negative responses from the Lebanese people. In replies to his X post, one citizen asked Rajji to "now do the same for the U.S. and Israel.” Another user said: “Isn’t it Israel that is bombing our country again and again with Washington’s support?”

The U.S. has been pressuring Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, even providing the country with an implementation plan and timeline. It has, however, made no demands for Israel to stop its attacks.

Iran has warned against disarmament but says it will abide by any collective conclusion reached by the Lebanese.