Iranian Source Dismisses Sending Special Envoy to Libya

Official sources in Iran rejected media reports on sending a special envoy to Libya, and stressed that Tehran considers national talks as the only way to come out of the crisis in the North African country.
“The reports on sending a special envoy by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s president to Libya are incorrect,” an informed foreign ministry source said on Sunday.

The source explained that the recent talks with the Libyan officials were held by Iranian Ambassador to Tripoli Hossein Akbari within the framework of continued meetings and negotiations with the officials and different political and social streams in the country.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s policy on Libya is clear and always based on non-interference in the Libyan internal affairs, helping to the settlement of the country’s crisis through national talks as the only solution for coming out of the crisis and helping the formation of a government based on the constitution,” the source underscored.

Media reports said on Saturday that the Iranian president had sent Akbari as his special envoy to Tripoli, adding that Akbari had held a meeting with Libyan Prime Minister Abdollah al-Thani.

According to the reports, in a meeting in Tobruk, the Iranian envoy voiced Tehran’s support for Libya’s elected parliamentarians and government.

Early in October, The Iranian Foreign Ministry welcomed Algeria’s initiative for settlement of the crisis in Libya, and expressed the hope that it could create national reconciliation in the North African country.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said at the time that the Islamic Republic of Iran welcomed Algerian political initiative for national reconciliation in Libya.

She expressed the hope that Algerian initiative would lead to resolution of the current crisis and bring about a national reconciliation in the country.

Afkham strongly ruled out any military intervention as well as interference of aliens in Libya, and underlined that negotiations between political wings would be the only way out of crisis, violence and insecurity.

The Algerian plan called for the political parties and the Libyan Army to go ahead with negotiations.