In a calculated effort to reassert regional influence after a string of geopolitical setbacks, Iranian regime’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beirut on June 3, 2025, for what Tehran framed as a “friendly visit” aimed at resetting ties. But the reception he received made clear that Lebanon’s new leadership is no longer willing to tolerate decades of Iranian interference, particularly through its proxy, Hezbollah.
Although the visit was presented as cultural in nature—linked to a ceremonial book event—Arabic media outlets, including Al-Hadath, confirmed that Araghchi held intensive political meetings with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. According to Al-Hadath, the visit was “surprise in form, but unmistakably political in substance,” coming amid a pivotal regional and domestic realignment.
For over three decades, the Iranian regime has used Lebanon as a platform for its ideological and military expansion, funneling arms, funds, and operatives to Hezbollah while paralyzing Lebanon’s state institutions. Now, in a renewed regional tour aimed at offsetting losses in Syria and weakening influence in Iraq, Tehran hoped to signal diplomatic flexibility. But Araghchi’s talking points—framing the clerical dictatorship as a partner seeking “mutual respect”—rang hollow in Beirut.
#Iran News: Lebanese Leader Demands Disarmament of #Hezbollah, Blames Tehran for Undermining Lebanon’s Sovereigntyhttps://t.co/lOp8CUESyw
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 5, 2025
“Respect Starts with Sovereignty”: Lebanon’s Leaders Push Back
Upon arrival at Rafic Hariri International Airport, Araghchi declared, “Iran is determined to open a new chapter in its relations with Lebanon based on mutual respect,” and repeated that Tehran supports Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Yet Lebanese leaders were unequivocal: true respect begins with dismantling the regime’s shadow military presence. According to a statement from the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji told Araghchi directly that support for Lebanon must occur only through the Lebanese state—and that all weapons must be in the hands of official institutions.
The message was delivered in full view of a shifting political consensus. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, echoing growing public and international pressure, had already declared: “The era of exporting Iran’s revolution is over.”
#Iran News: Lebanese President Declares Progress on #Hezbollah Disarmament, Signals End to Militia Impunityhttps://t.co/SnvQSb0zuN
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 16, 2025
He warned that Lebanon “will no longer remain silent in the face of weapons outside state control,” a clear rebuke of Hezbollah’s paramilitary authority.
Al-Hadath reported that the issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament was a top agenda item throughout Araghchi’s meetings. The visits, framed as a diplomatic reset, instead became a platform for Lebanese officials to issue their most direct challenge yet to Tehran’s role in sustaining a state-within-a-state.
Tehran’s Longstanding Disruption and New Tactics
Iran’s regime has long maintained an image of resistance through Hezbollah—promoting the group as a “liberation force” while exploiting it to bypass Lebanon’s institutions and exert military leverage over the country. This model has crippled Lebanese sovereignty, fueled sectarian conflict, and deterred international aid, particularly for reconstruction.
In recent months, however, the strategy has begun to unravel. Israeli airstrikes have eliminated senior Hezbollah commanders, and Lebanon’s army, with growing Western backing, has begun reasserting control over key areas, including weapons depots and border facilities.
#Iran News: #Lebanon Intensifies Airport Inspections to Block Iranian Cash Transfers to Hezbollahhttps://t.co/fCa4Lb52E2
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 10, 2025
Araghchi’s regional tour—preceded by a stop in Cairo—was widely interpreted as a bid to manage this unraveling through a softer diplomatic face. But the Lebanese response showed these cosmetic adjustments have little credibility when Tehran’s core behavior remains unchanged.
“No More Parallel States”
The message Lebanese leaders conveyed was not just tactical but existential: Iran’s decades-long strategy of cultivating armed proxies is incompatible with Lebanon’s survival as a sovereign nation.
The Foreign Ministry’s statement emphasized the need for all foreign assistance—including from Iran—to be channeled exclusively through the state, without parallel systems of power. Even Speaker Nabih Berri, long seen as sympathetic to Hezbollah, reportedly participated in discussions on reasserting state control—a sign that Iran’s grip is loosening even within its traditional power base.