Iran is not playing chess with the US in Lebanon, Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani said. "Iran has no intention of making Lebanon a regional battleground," he was quoted as saying by the Lebanese press on Thursday.
"The continuing crisis in Lebanon is a domestic issue that can only be solved politically," he noted.
He said Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on the need to settle the crisis in Lebanon. He said "the existence of a powerful, stable and broad-based government in Lebanon is important for Iran," adding that Tehran will provide all-out aid to Beirut to make this happen.
Speaking on his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Larijani said Iranian and Saudi officials had agreed on ways to provide help to Lebanon to prevent a civil war in the country.
He said the victory of Hizbullah in last year's war against Israel was a turning point in the history of Arab states, adding it was a matter of honor for Arab states and Muslims. He urged establishment of a national unity government in Lebanon to confront certain contradictions in UN Security Council Resolution 1701 that established the ceasefire between Lebanon and the Zionist regime.
The Iranian official also accused the US and Israel of fanning religious differences in Lebanon and the entire region.
