Speaker reaffirms Iran’s support on visit to Beirut
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf traveled to Beirut on Saturday to express the Islamic Republic’s support for the Lebanese nation and government as well as its resistance movement Hezbollah amid Israel’s escalated aggression on the Arab country.
Qalibaf, at the head of a delegation, arrived at Beirut’s international airport following an invitation by his Lebanese counterpart, Nabih Berri, and was warmly welcomed by the country’s officials.
He told reporters upon arrival that he came to Beirut to convey a message from Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei as well as Iranian officials saying, “As always, we stand in solidarity with the Lebanese people, government, and resistance.”
He stressed that he would later in the day leave Lebanon for Geneva, Switzerland, where he is scheduled to attend the 149th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) taking place on October 13-17.
At the IPU meeting, Qalibaf said he would “deliver the message of the innocence of the people of Gaza and Lebanon, elaborate on our duties in the international arena in supporting the oppressed, and support the innocence of the people of Lebanon and Palestine.”
Qalibaf also met with Berri and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati before paying a visit to Basta neighborhood of Beirut, where a number of residential buildings had been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes 48 hours earlier.
“Undoubtedly, all Muslim countries must condemn these crimes by the Zionist regime,” he told reporters at Basta.
“In this situation, there is no doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran always supports the people of Palestine and Lebanon and this support continues,” he added. “We also consider taking care of the oppressed and displaced people of this region as one of our duties.”
Lebanon has been attacked 9,588 times by the Israeli occupation army since October last year, resulting in 2,229 deaths and 10,380 injuries in Lebanon alone, according to statistics released by the Lebanese government on Friday.