Lebanese Official: Iran, Source Of Strength, Prestige For Regional States

Beirut, July 13, IRNA -- A Lebanese Druz official said here Thursday that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been a generating source of power and prestige for entire regional nations, having spent its full efforts for increasing grandeur of regional countries. The former head of Lebanon’s Druz religious courts Mursal Nasr made the comment in his Thursday meeting with Ambassador to Lebanon, Ghazanfar Roknabadi at Iran Embassy in Beirut. In the meeting in the presence of the Head of Lebanon Relief and Rescue Association Najib Masoud, the two sides discussed the latest status of the regional and Lebanese development. Mursal Nasr in the meeting while congratulating the victory of Hojjatoleslam Hassan Rowhani in the 11th IRI presidential elections said that some regional countriesˈ worries about the so-called threats posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran are quite unfounded. He also expressed hope that President-elect Rowhaniˈs tenure would mark the opening of a new chapter in fruitful interactions with the regional countries. The Lebanese judiciary official referred to Iran’s efforts aimed at improvement of the regional security conditions, reiterating, “Despite all those efforts, the colonialist and oppressor governmentsˈ efforts have been aimed at separating the regional countries from the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to achieve their own malicious objectives.ˈ Mursal Nasr pointed out that the enemiesˈ efforts are aimed at looting the wealth of the regional countries, adding, ˈI hope with the positive reaction of the regional countries in interactions with Iran, we would be witnesses to an atmosphere of regional proximity, which would be to the benefit of the entire regional nations.ˈ The former head of Lebanese Druz religious courts referring to the criminal acts of the armed groups in Syria reiterated, “The brutal behavior of the armed terrorist groups in Syria in the name of Islam is a great defamation against Islamˈs prestige, while the revered Prophet of Islam (P) was a blessing for the dwellers of both worlds.” He said that the efforts made by the media affiliated to the oppressor world countries is condemned, stressing, “These media’s efforts are aimed at highlighting the internal disputes in order to make everyone forget the Palestinians’ plight, and to turn it to a matter of secondary importance for the Muslims.” The Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, for his part, elaborating on the great political epic in recent Iranian presidential election, reiterated, ˈThe destructive campaign of the enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran as of months before the elections and their vast efforts aimed at dissuasion of the people, which led to the peopleˈs enthusiastic presence at the elections was the sign of a divine blessing.ˈ Roknabadi meanwhile elaborating on the developments in Syria and Egypt, said, ˈThe Islamic Republic of Iran has always remained firm about its fundamentals of defending the regional nationsˈ rights, pursuing a fixed and fundamental policy in dealing with the regional developments, including those in Syria, Egypt, and Bahrain.ˈ He emphasized, ˈThe Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the regional nations have the right to decide their own fates and is opposed to any type of foreign interference in the internal affairs of all nations.”/end