Given the political climate after the July nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers, Iran is determined to help restore peace and security to the region, the president says.
President Hassan Rouhani made the remark in a meeting with Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil in Tehran on Sunday, IRNA reported. According to Rouhani, Lebanon's resistance movement (a reference to Hezbollah, a Shia political party and militia group), has always been at the forefront of forcing Israel out of Lebanon; moreover, it has played a key role in helping enhance the stability of the region.
Highlighting ethnic and religious diversity in Lebanon, the president said, "This state is a perfect example of multiracial coexistence, and Iran has always called for preservation of Lebanon's national sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Rouhani believes that regional conflicts are rooted in foreign interference in the domestic affairs of Middle East countries as well as growth of violence and extremism; moreover, misunderstanding and gaps among regional states have slowed efforts to defuse conflicts.
Need for Broad Alliance
Stressing the fact that belligerence and aggression will bear no fruit but bloodshed, the president emphasized the need for building a broad coalition to combat terrorism as the menace is spreading throughout the world.
Criticizing the brutal massacre of innocent people in Yemen and Syria who live in deplorable conditions, Rouhani asserted, "Our doctrine is to assist the oppressed and stop the slaughter of defenseless women and children by any possible means, which explains why Iran has always stood by the Lebanese resistance."
Referring to the close ties between Tehran and Beirut, he reiterated that regional countries, including Lebanon, can settle their own problems and have no need for a "foreign prescription."
Blessing for Region
"The July 14 nuclear deal which came into effect on Sunday will be such a blessing for the whole region," Bassil noted, reiterating that the deal will pave the way for diplomacy instead of isolating others economically and politically.
According to the top Lebanese diplomat, Iran has just started playing its new regional and international role in the post-deal era; in addition, it has brought the campaign against terrorism to the world's attention.
Iran has unique capabilities in fighting extremism which can be exploited in cooperation with other states, he added.
