Iran Foreign Minister Scraps Lebanon Trip at Last Minute as Airstrikes Blanket the Southern Region

Abbas Araghchi pivoted on plans after advisement from Hezbollah leader.

AP/Bilal Hussein
Hezbollah fighters salute as they stand next to the coffins of four victims who were killed September 17, 2024 after their handheld pagers exploded. AP/Bilal Hussein

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has postponed a visit to Lebanon in the wake of two attacks against Hezbollah that he said was a direct attack from Israel.

The decision to delay the trip comes after the newly appointed Iranian official spoke with Hezbollah’s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, according to state-run news agency Tasinim News, and comes amid a barrage of airstrikes from the Israeli military.

“After recent incidents in Lebanon, including large-scale attacks by Israel, Araghchi considered visiting Beirut but was advised to delay the trip due to certain considerations,” the report from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-backed news agency said.

Mr. Araghchi planned to head to Lebanon on his way to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. According to state-run media in totalitarian Iran, he strongly condemned the attacks. He said they were the result of “Israeli terrorism” and offered his country’s support with medical treatment and transport to Tehran for the more than 3,000 injured in the two attacks involving communication devices.

“In a call with my Lebanese counterpart, I strongly condemned Israeli terrorism. Expressed solidarity with victims–including a 10-year-old–and readiness to provide any aid,” he allegedly said in a post on X.

Among those injured in the two attacks earlier this week in which pagers and walkie-talkies were used to ignite explosions was the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani. The minister thanked the Lebanese government for giving him prompt treatment for his injuries.

He also stressed the need for serious follow-up by the Lebanese government.

Mr. Nasrallah also has blamed Israel for the attacks, saying that it crossed “all red lines” and vowed that it would face a “severe reckoning.”

In an apparent response, Israeli forces launched nearly 70 airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Thursday. There were no immediate reports of casualties.


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