President Hassan Rouhani received the new Lebanese ambassador, Hassan Abbas, to Iran on Tuesday and said the parliamentary elections in that country could lead to improved ties between the two sides. After receiving Abbas’s credentials, Rouhani said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to back the Lebanese government and nation in their resistance against terrorist groups and the expansionist policies of the Zionist regime,” IRNA reported. He expressed satisfaction over the peaceful coexistence of followers of different religions and faiths in Lebanon, saying, “We hope this election further strengthens unity and economic progress in your country and helps build closer bonds between Tehran and Beirut”. The Lebanese envoy reiterated his government’s objectives to promote links with Iran in all fields. The resistance group Hezbollah, together with parties and politicians aligned to it, won more than half the 128 seats in Lebanon’s Parliament last week. Though western-backed Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri lost more than a third of his seats, he is widely expected to form another unity government that will include Hezbollah and the other main parties.
