TEHRAN – Ali Larijani, a senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei, pledged Iran’s support for the Resistance while delivering the Leader’s message to officials in Syria and Lebanon.

“I am here to loudly say that Iran will stand by Lebanon’s government and the Lebanese people,” Larijani told reporters in the Lebanese capital Beirut after separate meetings with parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

The former speaker of the Iranian parliament also said he had delivered a message from Ayatollah Khamenei to senior Lebanese officials but did not disclose the content of the message.

The senior adviser to Iran’s Leader asserted that Iran considers it to be its responsibility to support the Lebanese people and their demands, and hopes that the country’s conditions be ameliorated as soon as possible.

Furthermore, the senior official expressed hope that the Lebanese people who have been displaced amid incessant Israeli attacks would be able to return to their places of residence soon.

While Larijani's diplomatic meetings were ongoing, the Israeli regime launched renewed aerial attacks on Lebanon. The regime’s warplanes also flew at low altitude over Beirut while Larijani was in the city, trying to create trepidation in the Lebanese capital.

The Israeli regime has significantly ramped up its deadly attacks against Lebanon since last October, killing more than 3000 people and damaging around 100,000 houses. In response, Hezbollah has been staging hundreds of retaliatory operations against Israeli positions in the occupied territories. 

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian official expressed confidence in the Lebanese Resistance movement’s capability to safeguard the country, asserting that Hezbollah is steadfast and the Lebanese nation is stalwart.

Earlier in the day, Lebanese acting PM Mikati reportedly said that Lebanon “prioritizes” implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

Answering a reporter’s question, Larijani commented on the caretaker PM’s statement, saying Iran will support any decision the Lebanese government and Resistance end up taking.

Adopted to end the Israeli regime’s 2006 war on Lebanon, the 1701 resolution has trusted the preservation of security in southern Lebanon with UN peacekeepers. Israel has attacked UN’s positions in Lebanon multiple times in the past months. 

The senior advisor to Iran’s Leader emphasized: “While Iran and the Resistance front are trying to solve problems in the region, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his henchmen try to disrupt the situation in the region.” Larijani added that this contrast makes it easy for the Lebanese to tell their friends and enemies apart. 

Additionally, Larijani met with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Thursday.

The two sides underscored the need for putting an end to Israel’s unchecked violence in Gaza and Lebanon. 

The Iranian official also held meetings with the leaders of Palestinian Resistance groups in the Syrian capital, expressing Iran’s staunch support for the Palestinian cause. 

Larijani is the third high-ranking Iranian official to embark on a regional tour despite threats posed by Israel’s relentless attacks against several Arab countries.