News - Middle East: Amid Western calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has asserted that military capability is essential for Lebanon’s inherent right to self-defense.

“Our position regarding recent developments, in support of the territorial integrity, unity, and independence of Lebanon, is firm and proven,” Esmaeil Baghaei said during his weekly press conference on Monday. 

“Iran has always underscored the necessity of preserving the independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon and the right of this country to defend itself against the evils of the Israeli regime,” Baghaei underlined.

However, he noted, “as a rule, exercising this inherent right is not possible without military capability and weapons.”

He explained that Iran’s past experience in the region demonstrates that the Zionist regime cannot be contained except by equipping nations with the necessary means for self-defense.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman reiterated that these issues are Lebanon’s internal affairs, and the people of this country, and the various components of Lebanese society must identify the interests of their country through legal and approved processes.  

The US is pushing the Lebanese government to trade Hezbollah’s disarmament for a partial Israeli withdrawal from the south.

In response, the Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has announced plans to restrict weapons possession solely to state institutions under a new army-led framework by year’s end.  

Iran, Armenia to hold high-level talks

Regarding the recent peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Baghaei noted that the deal can be a turning point in establishing peace and stability in the South Caucasus. 

“Today and tomorrow, high-level consultations will be held between officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Armenia to be more closely informed about the situation and, if necessary, share our considerations and concerns with them,” he added.

Addressing the possibility and quality of Iran’s role in the peace process announced by Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, he said that the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia will visit Tehran on Tuesday as part of these diplomatic efforts.

Baghaei further said that Armenia’s foreign minister reaffirmed the country’s commitment to avoiding any actions that could be perceived as inconsistent with—or concerning to—the interests of Iran.Iran-IAEA talks begin in Tehran
The talks with Rafael Grossi, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), began today in Tehran, he said.
He will be meeting with Foreign Ministry officials, Baghaei added.  
The Foreign Ministry spokesman highlighted Iran’s unprecedented situation with the IAEA, saying, “No country’s safeguarded nuclear facilities have ever been attacked without IAEA condemnation. We find this lack of response unacceptable.”
With no established protocols for such cases, discussions will focus on future Iran-IAEA cooperation—considering the aggression of Israel and the US on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, and parliamentary directives, he added.
‘Activation of snapback will not yield results’
Responding to a question about the possibility of Europe resorting to activating the snapback mechanism, he said using the so-called snapback mechanism “to exert pressure on Iran is a sign of the three European countries’ desire not to play a constructive and serious role in this regard.”
According to Baghaei, European countries have forfeited their JCPOA membership privileges through their own actions—both by failing to meet their commitments under the nuclear deal and by refusing to adopt a rational and legal stance following Israel’s military aggression against Iran.
“Using snapback as a threat to pressure Iran will certainly not yield any results, except to marginalize Europe even more than before,” he said, noting that Europe must review its approach towards Iran if it wishes to play a constructive role.
‘Zero trust’ in US
“We have no trust in the US,” he stated, adding that even during negotiations, Iran never trusted them at all.
The Zionist regime’s aggression in the middle of the negotiations and the US participation in it basically left no room even for “zero trust,” he emphasized. 
“What guarantees our independence, territorial integrity, and dignity are domestic capabilities, including capabilities in the military field, which our armed forces will pursue with seriousness,” he continued.
He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will use “all its tools to optimally, timely, and effectively utilize the capacity of diplomacy to advance the supreme interests of the Iranian nation.”
Press TV