Why did Larijani, during his visit to Beirut, meet with Lebanese government officials before meeting with Hezbollah authorities?

The newspaper Farhikhtegan addressed the question of why Ali Larijani, during his visit to Lebanon, met with government officials before meeting Hezbollah authorities.

According to Farhikhtegan, the nature of Larijani’s visit and the media image projected from it not only reflected a strong and authoritative image of Iran following the 12-day war with Israel but also served as a countermeasure against a U.S. project aimed at weakening and obscuring relations between Iran and the Lebanese government. Additionally, amid the warm reception of Larijani by the Lebanese people, his compassionate and encouraging remarks directed at Hezbollah’s youth demonstrated comprehensive support for the resistance axis and Hezbollah. The indirect impact of this support is expected to become more visible in the coming days.

The newspaper added that upon his arrival in Beirut, and prior to meeting Hezbollah officials, Larijani met with Lebanese government representatives. The message of this meeting was that, although Iran supports the resistance axis and Hezbollah, this support is framed within Lebanon’s national interests and the preservation of its territorial integrity, and that Iran does not intend to interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs or weaken its government.

The meetings with Joseph Aoun, Nabih Berri, and the cordial meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam—which received extensive media coverage—occurred immediately upon Larijani’s arrival at Rafic Hariri Airport for this purpose.