Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
Al-Arabia – Iran said on Sunday it would expand its ties with Lebanon in spite of
the “provocative and interventionist” call by US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo for Beirut to choose sides, Iranian state television
reported.
On a regional tour, Pompeo said on Friday
that Lebanon faced a choice – “Bravely move forward as an independent
and proud nation, or allow the dark ambitions of Iran and Hezbollah to
dictate your future.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi dismissed Pompeo’s remarks.
“Because
of the failure of its policies in the Middle East, America has turned
to the outdated and disgraced weapon of threats and intimidation to
impose its imperious policies on other countries,” Qasemi said, state
television reported.
“While respecting the
independence of Lebanon and the free will of its government and nation,
Iran will use all its capacities to strengthen unity inside Lebanon and
also to expand its ties with Lebanon.”
Hezbollah,
whose influence has expanded at home and in the region, controls three
of 30 ministries in the government led by Western-backed Prime Minister
Saad al-Hariri, the largest number in its history.
Qasemi said that Lebanon’s Hezbollah was a legal and popular party.
“How can Pompeo make such impudent and irrational remarks (about Hezbollah) while visiting Lebanon,” he said.
Tensions
between Tehran and Washington have increased since US President Donald
Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world
powers last May, and then re-imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
The
restoration of sanctions is part of a wider effort by Trump to force
Iran to further curb its nuclear program and to end its ballistic
missile work as well as its support for proxy forces in Yemen, Syria,
Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East.
Last Update: Monday, 25 March 2019 KSA 07:36 – GMT 04:36
