Eurasia Press & News
Hezbollah’s spokesman Hossein Rahal said direct talks between Iran and the US would push Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora’s cabinet to failure. Speaking in an exclusive interview with FNA on Tuesday, he denied reports released by western media in recent days that the Lebanese Hezbollah party has some differences with Iran about direct negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
“Hezbollah never intends to interfere with or make assumptions about Iran’s issues, because despite all accusations, Hezbollah is independent and its decisions pertain to Lebanon and are adopted inside Lebanon,” he underlined.
The Hezbollah official further pointed out that Iran-US direct talks in Baghdad would affect the political crisis in Lebanon, saying, “Baghdad talks would show their effect on the political affairs and structure of Lebanon very evidently and rapidly.”
He said that among all the Lebanese political movements the said talks would influence the 14 of March movement and Fuad Siniora’s cabinet more than others, adding, “The group which will sustain the gravest blow from these negotiations would be Siniora’s cabinet and proponents of the 14 of March (movement) and not Hezbollah or the opposition.”
Rahal reminded that 14 of March movement has sustained the gravest loss in the political rivalries in Lebanon, and continued, “The 14 of March believed that the rumors about the United States’ imminent invasion of Iran would come true and that after such a strike Syria would be undermined and the Lebanese opposition would be defeated. But it ignored the fact that Hezbollah and the Lebanese opposition movement are from and for Lebanon and because they don’t receive instructions from outside the country, they would neither be weakened nor strengthened as a result of international developments.”
He further disclosed that activists of the 14 of March movement had embarked on extensive consultations to prevent direct talks between the US and Iran.
“This movement is aware that in case Iran-US talks take place, irrespective of the level of such talks, they would undermine Siniora’s pro-American cabinet,” the Hezbollah spokesman said.
“The 14 of March movement is fully dependent on the West and it fears that the US might be forced to concede some advantages to Iran with regard to Lebanon.
“While the United States is itself demanding talks with Iran, its mercenaries and affiliates in Lebanon advise Washington to keep away from such negotiations,” he continued.
The official said that Hezbollah will continue close observation of the political conditions in Lebanon.
“And we will wait for the aftermaths and effects of these talks on the political crisis in Lebanon. Meantime, we will not come short of our previously stated stances about the necessity of the formation of a national unity government in Lebanon,” the Hezbollah spokesman concluded.
