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Firstsitenews-Iran’s newly appointed security chief, Ali Larijani, began his first official overseas trip on Monday, visiting Iraq to sign a bilateral security agreement before heading to Lebanon where tensions are rising over a government plan to disarm Hezbollah.
State television reported that Larijani, who took office last week as head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, will spend three days abroad. In Iraq, he is expected to finalise the security pact before travelling to Beirut for high-level meetings with Lebanese leaders and political figures.
The visit comes amid Tehran’s fierce opposition to Lebanon’s proposal to strip Hezbollah a key Iranian ally of its weapons. Beirut has described Iran’s stance as “flagrant and unacceptable interference.”
“Our cooperation with the Lebanese government is long-standing and deep,” Larijani told state TV before departure. “We consult on many regional matters. Lebanese national unity is important and must be preserved at all costs, and we will continue to contribute to Lebanon’s independence.”
On Saturday, Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, denounced the disarmament plan as bowing “to the will of the United States and Israel.”
The push to weaken Hezbollah follows last year’s war with Israel, which dealt heavy blows to the group’s political and military standing. Critics in Lebanon, backed by U.S. pressure, warn that keeping the group armed could trigger further Israeli attacks.
Larijani’s appointment to the top security post comes in the aftermath of a 12-day war with Israel, sparked by an unprecedented Israeli strike on Iranian military, nuclear, and residential sites in mid-June. As head of the Supreme National Security Council, Larijani will play a central role in shaping Iran’s defence policy subject to final approval from Khamenei.
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