Iran: New FM Visits Lebanon, Syria on First Trip Abroad

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Facts

• On his first international trip, Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani met with Syrian Pres. Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad on Tuesday following meetings in Lebanon the day before.¹
• Bagheri Kani and his counterpart discussed the need for an immediate Gaza cease-fire and the unconditional provision of humanitarian aid to the strip. Like his predecessor, he also met with Palestinian groups at the Iranian embassy in Damascus.²
• Addressing bilateral ties and the Gaza conflict, Bagheri Kani said Iran-Syria relations will remain 'deep and strategic,' with Assad emphasizing that resistance to what he called the occupation of Palestine remains 'a basic principle and a strategic choice.'³
• In a joint press conference with Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib on the first leg of his regional trip on Monday, Bagheri Kani referred to Iran-Lebanon relations as 'a key indicator of stability in the region.'⁴
• Iran's acting top diplomat also dismissed a Gaza cease-fire proposal announced by US Pres. Joe Biden last week, calling on Washington to instead 'end all aid' to Israel to stop the war that followed Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.⁵
• He further called for a 'joint movement' to counter what he called 'Israeli aggression,' with Bou Habib saying Lebanon wants to avoid a wider war. Bagheri Kani became acting foreign minister after his predecessor, along with Iran's president, died in a helicopter crash last month.⁶

Sources: ¹Africanews, ²Reuters, ³AL, ⁴Iran Front Page, ⁵The National and ⁶Timesofisrael.

Narratives

• Pro-Iran narrative, as provided by PressTV. After the tragic death of his predecessor, Bagheri Kani's first trip abroad is an impressive display of political continuity in the face of Israel's aggression in Gaza. More firmly than in the past, and despite sanctions and threats, Iran will reinforce the synergy between the Axis of Resistance in its just struggle against the Israeli regime and its unprecedented crimes. The Israeli occupation is the cause of chaos and regional instability, and Iran and its allies are not going to stand idly by.
• Anti-Iran narrative, as provided by Iran International. Bagheri Kani may pretend to champion the Palestinian cause, but this has nothing to do with reality. Iran's proxy war against Israel is not serving the Palestinians, and will not lead to the creation of a Palestinian state. Even the Palestinian Authority is realizing that Tehran is sacrificing the blood of Palestinians only to foster its geopolitical goals. Tehran's alleged concern for peace and stability is a sham to cover for its expansionist ambitions.

Predictions