Iran Parl. speaker holds talks with Lebanese officials in Beirut

Accompanied by a high level delegation including senior foreign ministry officials, Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani arrived in Beirut. The main theme appeared to be Islamic unity in the face of Takfiri terrorists. Larijani likened the Takfiri threat to that posed by Israel, stressing they both are main threats for the Islamic unity.
Larijani stressed Tehran’s support for Lebanon in its fight against terror groups, many of which have tried to infiltrate the country from neighboring Syria, expressing his countries readiness to provide assistance to the Lebanese military. Meanwhile, Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri expressed his support for the Iranian position of finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis, saying that the flow of money and militants to the war-torn country would not help find such a solution. Iran’s parliament speaker expressed his support for a dialogue between rival Lebanese factions that remain at loggerheads over the election of a new president. He also met representatives of Palestinian factions, reiterating Tehran s support for the Palestinian cause. Ali Larijanis visit to Lebanon appeared to include messages that extend way beyond Lebanese borders. This visit, which is part of a tour that started in Syria and ends in Iraq, was a show of solidarity with Tehran’s main allies as they tackle the Takfiri threat. It also seemed to once again show Israel’s position in the Middle East, whose support for Takfiri terrorists in Syria, according to many, is becoming more evident.