In defiance of US efforts to isolate the Iranian regime, a spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday stated that Iran aims to strengthen its ties with Lebanon.
During a visit to Lebanon on Friday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had urged the country to “[b]ravely move forward as an independent and proud nation, or allow the dark ambitions of Iran and Hezbollah to dictate your future.” Iran responded by claiming that Pompeo’s words where the product of the US government’s failed Middle East policy, which forced the US to turn to “the outdated and disgraced weapon of threats and intimidation to impose its imperious policies on other countries.” Iran also stated that it respected Lebanon’s independence and would “use all its capacities to strengthen unity inside Lebanon and also to expand its ties with Lebanon.”
Last year the US pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on the country. Iran has described the sanctions as a “crime against humanity” and plans to file a legal case against the US in international court.
Read more: Iran to cement ties with Lebanon, Hezbollah despite U.S. pressure
