Ali Akbar Velayati, international affairs adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, issued a direct threat to Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday, warning that ignoring Hezbollah’s “unique role” would expose Lebanon to “irreparable security risks.” The statement responded to Lebanon’s announcement of first direct talks with Israel in Washington next week.
Velayati’s social media post declared that “Lebanon’s stability lies exclusively in synergy between the government and the resistance,” framing any state-level accommodation with Israel as existential threat. The message explicitly named Salam while praising Hezbollah as “heroic,” demonstrating Tehran’s determination to maintain proxy influence regardless of Lebanese government decisions.
The threat complicates fragile diplomatic momentum. Lebanon seeks ceasefire implementation before negotiations commence, while Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter confirmed Jerusalem agreed to formal peace talks with the Lebanese state but explicitly refused ceasefire discussion with Hezbollah. Velayati’s intervention attempts to constrain Salam’s maneuvering room by raising domestic security costs for independent diplomacy.
Velayati simultaneously defended Iran’s negotiating posture in Islamabad, characterizing the “firm diplomacy” as evidence of commitment to regional stability through Iranian “national authority.” He praised Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s presence at Pakistan talks as continuation of “this steadfast resolve to enhance the nation’s rights.”
The dual messaging—threatening Lebanon while praising Iranian diplomatic firmness—reveals Tehran’s strategic priority: preventing normalization between Arab states and Israel even as Iran pursues its own accommodation with Washington. Hezbollah’s military degradation appears to have triggered intensified political pressure to preserve ideological and operational influence.
Lebanese government officials have not publicly responded to Velayati’s intervention.
Iranian Adviser Threatens Lebanese Prime Minister
Iranian Supreme Leader adviser Velayati threatens Lebanese PM Salam with "irreparable security risks" if Hezbollah's role ignored, as Lebanon prepares for historic Israel talks in Washington. Intervention aims to constrain independent Lebanese diplomacy.
