Iran’s role is “extremely negative” and its regional policies are among the “chief sources of instability” in Lebanon and across the Middle East, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajj said on Friday.
Rajj’s shared his comments, which he made in an interview with Qatar’s Al Jazeera, in a series of English-language X posts on Monday.
Iran’s terror proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, “brought [Israeli] occupation onto Lebanese territory” and its weapons “must be handed over to the Lebanese state” before the end of the year, the diplomat wrote.
“By the end of 2025, the area south of the Litani River must be free of all illegal weapons, and by the end of 2026, the Lebanese Armed Forces must have completed the process of confining all weapons to
the state across the entire Lebanese territory,” he added.
For weeks, Beirut has “been receiving warning messages from multiple international and Arab parties indicating Israel is preparing for wide-scale attacks,” he continued. “Lebanon is intensifying its diplomatic efforts to shield the state and its institutions.”
Iran’s role is extremely negative, and its policies are among the chief sources of instability in Lebanon and the region. pic.twitter.com/r94u2xiDPO
— Youssef Raggi (@YoussefRaggi) December 15, 2025
Rajj’s criticism of Iran comes on the backdrop of his refusal to travel to the Islamic Republic for negotiations on disarming Hezbollah.
“I could not accept [the] invitation to visit Tehran under the current circumstances,” Beirut’s top diplomat wrote on X on Wednesday.
Rajj told his Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, that he would be welcome to visit Beirut. Araghchi later announced plans to travel to the Lebanese capital for diplomatic talks.
Lebanon’s pro-Hezbollah daily Al-Akhbar reported last week that Rajj has refused to submit the credentials of Tehran’s new ambassador to Beirut for Cabinet approval amid the dispute, delaying the appointment.
Hezbollah and its Iranian backers have refused demands that the terror group disarm under the U.S.-brokered truce with Israel reached on Nov. 27, 2024.
Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said on Sunday that “Hezbollah, as one of the most important pillars of the resistance front, plays a fundamental role in confronting Zionism.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, under the leadership and orders of the [supreme] leader, will continue to resolutely support this valuable and selfless group on the front lines of the resistance.”
The ceasefire went into effect following an intense two-month Israeli military campaign that led to the weakening of the Iranian proxy’s leadership. The deal was cemented by the Israeli and Lebanese governments and five mediating countries, including Washington.
The Trump administration has reportedly set Dec. 31 as the deadline for the Lebanese government to disarm the Iranian-backed terrorist army.
