Iranian FM met with Hezbollah head Nasrallah in visit to Beirut

In an official visit to Beirut on Thursday, Hossein Amir met with Nasrallah to discuss the latest news in the region, and promised that Iran will stand by Lebanon's side.

 Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on March 23, 2022.  (photo credit: SANA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on March 23, 2022.
(photo credit: SANA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir met Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah on his official visit Thursday to Beirut, Lebanon. They discussed the latest political developments in the region, according to the Iranian foreign ministry's official Twitter account.

The two discussed issues including developments in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the latest news about the crisis in Ukraine, the ministry said.

The talks also included the negotiations in Vienna on Iran's nuclear program and the process of negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry website. It stated that Tehran stands prepared to assist Lebanon and help with the country's needs in "different spheres," including engineering, industrial, energy and more.

Amir also assured Lebanese president Michel Aoun that Iran is ready to support Lebanon with the provision of wheat, even though Iran itself is importing wheat due to its worst drought in 50 years. 

Lebanon bought the bulk of its wheat from Ukraine until the invasion, and with its unsteady economy and looming humanitarian crisis, with over 80% of the population under the poverty line, it could also suffer from a wheat shortage.

 Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian meets with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow (credit: RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian meets with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow (credit: RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

In search of alternatives, Lebanon is planning to import 50,000 tons of wheat from India.

It is widely known that two of Beirut's major sponsors in economic, military and financial affairs are Iran and Russia. The former has reportedly sent multiple shipments of weapons to Hezbollah, while the latter openly sends financial support to Lebanon, and secretly supplies Hezbollah with advanced weapons.

In his visit, the Iranian foreign minister has met with a number of political figures, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.