Araghchi Aide in Beirut Assesses Concerns of Shiite Duo

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun coincided with the arrival in Beirut of his aide, Saeed Khatibzadeh, as Tehran moved to reassert its presence in Lebanon after a prolonged absence. Well-informed Lebanese sources said the Iranian push came amid differences with Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam over their approach to Lebanon, while Tehran also sought to contain tensions caused by the withdrawal of Mohammad Reza Sheibani’s credentials as Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon.

