Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saied Iravani, delivered a statement before the UN Security Council during which he eulogized former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as ‘a critical factor for peace and stability in Lebanon’ on Thursday.
In the meeting, which was called to discuss the conflict in Lebanon, Iravani claimed that the assassinations of Nasrallah and former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh were done with the intention of ‘sabotage any chance of a ceasefire’ in Lebanon and Gaza.
"Israel is now a serious threat to international peace and security. Its ongoing aggressive acts of terror and atrocities now threaten to plunge the entire region into all-out war," he said.
Following Irvani’s description of Nasrallah as “a prominent figure in the Islamic world and a critical factor for peace and stability in Lebanon,” Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon took to X/Twitter to call the speech ‘unbelievable.’
“You cannot make this up,” Danon wrote.
Unbelievable!!!!Iran’s ambassador to the UN just eulogized Hassan Nasrallah, a terrorist with the blood of tens of thousands of innocent Israelis, Americans and Europeans on his hands. He said he was a “critical factor for peace and stability in Lebanon” and said he was the…
— Danny Danon דני דנון (@dannydanon) October 10, 2024
A stronger Lebanon, Lebanese army
During the meeting, ambassadors from the US and France expressed their support for a stronger Lebanese army.
"The solution to this crisis is not a weaker Lebanon,” Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood said, “It's a strong and truly sovereign Lebanon protected by a legitimate security force embodied in the Lebanese Armed Forces."
"We want heightened support for Lebanese institutions, in particular, the Lebanese Armed Forces," French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere added.
"Hezbollah is holding the Lebanese people hostage,” Danon said to the council.
“All of us should declare shoulder to shoulder that Iran must keep its blood-stained hands off Lebanon."
Danon then took a moment to address the people of Lebanon in Arabic.
"The land of Lebanon belongs to the Lebanese people, not to Iran!" he said.