TEHRAN – A public back-and-forth between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Lebanese counterpart, Youssef Rajji, may now be entering a lull. The de-escalation follows Araghchi's announcement on X that he had accepted Rajji’s invitation to visit Beirut to sort out their differences—a move prompted by Rajji’s apparent unwillingness to travel to Tehran.

Earlier, Rajji had suggested the two meet in a “third country,” a proposal that came off as somewhat unusual given the frequent visits Iranian officials have made to Lebanon over the past year alone. Araghchi himself was in Beirut just this June and was received “warmly” by Rajji.

In his Thursday post on X, Araghchi said he was “bewildered” by his Lebanese counterpart’s refusal to accept Iran’s invitation to visit Tehran following Rajji’s “warm hospitality during my last trip to Lebanon.”

“It goes without saying that the foreign ministers of countries which enjoy brotherly and full diplomatic relations do not need a ‘neutral’ location to hold a meeting,” Araghchi explained.

“Given the Israeli occupation of [parts of] Lebanon and Tel Aviv’s gross violation of the ceasefire, I completely understand why my Lebanese counterpart is not ready to travel to Tehran. Hence, I accept his invitation to visit Beirut with pleasure,” said Araghchi.

The diplomat added that Tehran, like Beirut, favors opening a new chapter in bilateral relations based on mutual respect.

This diplomatic saga began a month ago when Rajji stated in an interview with Arab media that he wished to negotiate with his Iranian counterpart. Araghchi’s reaction was one of immediate surprise—a response mirrored in his latest comments. In a post on X, he said there was no need for the Lebanese diplomat to resort to interviews or mediators if he wished to speak, given the longstanding and direct channel between them.

After Rajji ignored this initial message and instead took to social media to accuse Iran of meddling in Lebanon’s internal affairs, Araghchi invited him to Tehran for a second time via official channels. Rajji’s anger stemmed from an interview by a foreign policy advisor to Iran’s Leader, who had told Iranian media that disarming Hezbollah would endanger Lebanon’s security. The advisor argued that with Israel not adhering to the 2024 ceasefire, eliminating the group that has been Lebanon’s main defender against Israeli aggression would be a mistake.

Hezbollah was formed in 1982 during Israel’s occupation of Lebanon, and in the face of the Lebanese army’s inability to expel Israeli forces. The Lebanese military remains dependent on the U.S. and its regional Arab allies for support.

Iran, for its part, states that it respects any collective decision made by the Lebanese people—even if it views that decision as dangerous. Washington and Israel, however, have presented the Lebanese government with a plan and a timeline for disarming Hezbollah, while continuing their military aggression against Lebanon in the interim.

The public dispute has also drawn criticism from Lebanese citizens, who have accused Rajji of misdirecting his anger. On his social media posts targeting Tehran, many have called on him to focus instead on those who “bomb and kill us.”

Provided Rajji does not reignite tensions, Araghchi's planned visit to Beirut should bring the month-long public dispute to a close, at least temporarily.