Amani says Iran to respect 'what Lebanese agree on' regarding Hezbollah arms

Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani revealed Wednesday that the booby-trapped pager device that wounded him was present in his office and that it was there to “warn of any attack.”

The device exploded as did thousands of others carried by Hezbollah members in what was seen as the opening strike in Israel’s war against the Iran-backed group in September last year.

In an interview on Al-Jadeed TV, Amani also confirmed that he has been summoned by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry over his latest post on the X platform regarding Hezbollah’s disarmament.

“I apologized for not being able to be present today and no other appointment has yet been scheduled,” Amani added.

A Foreign Ministry source meanwhile told Al-Jazeera that Amani was summoned to be told that his remarks were "interference in Lebanese affairs."

As for the handover of Hezbollah’s weapons to the Lebanese state, the ambassador said Tehran would “abide by what the Lebanese agree on.”

He also stressed that “Hezbollah and the Hamas Movement have not been defeated,” adding that Tehran wants to “take part in supporting the Lebanese people who were affected by the Israeli aggression.”

“We’re communicating with the international sides in this regard and we’re seeking to cooperate with the Lebanese government in the reconstruction file,” Amani added.

“The disarmament project is a clear conspiracy against nations. While the United States continues to supply the Zionist entity with the latest weapons and missiles, it prevents countries from arming and strengthening their armies, and pressures other countries to reduce or destroy their arsenals under various pretexts,” Amani wrote on the X platform on Friday.

“Once these countries surrender to demands for disarmament, they become vulnerable to attack and occupation, as happened in Iraq, Libya and Syria,” Amani warned.