Raggi Declines Tehran Visit
12/10/2025 1:27:00 PM
Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi has declined the invitation from his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to visit Tehran, citing the current circumstances. In a written reply, Raggi clarified that his refusal “does not signify a rejection of dialogue, but rather reflects the absence of conducive conditions for such a visit at this time.”
Raggi renewed his call for a meeting in a neutral third country, to be mutually agreed upon, expressing Lebanon’s full readiness to build “a new era of constructive relations between Lebanon and Iran; on strictly built on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, and non-interference in internal affairs.”
The Minister emphasized his “firm conviction that no state can be strong unless the exclusive right to bear arms rests solely with the national army, which alone holds the authority over decisions of war and peace.”
Raggi concluded his letter by reaffirming that Minister Araghchi “will always be welcome to visit Lebanon.”
Raggi renewed his call for a meeting in a neutral third country, to be mutually agreed upon, expressing Lebanon’s full readiness to build “a new era of constructive relations between Lebanon and Iran; on strictly built on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty, independence, and non-interference in internal affairs.”
The Minister emphasized his “firm conviction that no state can be strong unless the exclusive right to bear arms rests solely with the national army, which alone holds the authority over decisions of war and peace.”
Raggi concluded his letter by reaffirming that Minister Araghchi “will always be welcome to visit Lebanon.”