BEIRUT — A senior Iranian official met with Lebanese leaders on Friday regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, coinciding with ongoing efforts by the United States to mediate a ceasefire agreement between the two factions.
Ali Larijani, who serves as an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, traveled to Beirut amid renewed Israeli airstrikes in the southeastern outskirts of the city.
Images from the scene revealed an 11-story residential structure in the Tayouneh area, just a few kilometers from central Beirut, as it was targeted by a bomb, resulting in a significant explosion and fire.
While there were no immediate reports of casualties, the bombing demolished a substantial portion of the building. The Israeli military had previously issued a warning about the attack, asserting that it was aimed at a Hezbollah facility.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire are underway as the fighting escalates, which has been complicated by the ongoing conflict with Hamas that flared up in September and spread into southern Lebanon and Beirut’s suburbs.
Hezbollah and Hamas, both receiving support from Iran, increased hostilities following Hamas’s unexpected attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which acted as a catalyst for the intensified Gaza conflict.
Lebanese media reports state that U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson recently presented a draft proposal for ending the hostilities to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is negotiating on behalf of Hezbollah.
A Lebanese official confirmed that Johnson visited Berri but declined to comment on whether a draft was exchanged, requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.
The U.S. Embassy has not confirmed nor denied the reports regarding the proposed deal.
In parallel, Larijani arrived in Beirut after discussions with Syrian President Bashar Assad, where they addressed the ongoing military actions against both Palestine and Lebanon, emphasizing the urgency for a ceasefire.
Iran has historically provided significant military and financial backing to Hezbollah, enhancing its capacity to engage in conflict.
After meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Larijani held private talks with Berri. According to Iran’s embassy in Beirut, Larijani reiterated Tehran’s support for Lebanon’s “government, army, and resistance,” a term often used to refer to Hezbollah, and noted discussions about efforts to achieve a ceasefire without providing further details.
Additionally, the United Nations Security Council’s ten elected members circulated a draft resolution advocating for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza.
This resolution also calls for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack, with Israel claiming around 100 hostages remain, not all of whom are believed to be alive.
The U.S., as a close ally of Israel, plays a crucial role in determining whether this resolution will pass, while Russia, China, Britain, and France are likely to support it or abstain.
The draft requests immediate access for civilians in Gaza to receive necessary humanitarian aid and services, highlighting alarming conditions such as a lack of healthcare and food insecurity that could lead to famine.
It also condemns all attacks against civilians and terrorist actions.
The escalation in the Israel-Hamas conflict began when Palestinian militants entered Israel on October 7, 2023, taking the lives of approximately 1,200 individuals, primarily civilians, and abducting another 250.
Reports indicate that Israel’s military response in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 43,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials, who note that over half of those fatalities consist of women and children.
Hezbollah’s retaliatory rocket fire into Israel commenced on October 8, 2023, in support of Hamas. Since the onset of hostilities, more than 3,200 lives have been lost and upwards of 14,000 injured in Lebanon, as reported by the Health Ministry.
Economic impacts have also been staggering, with Lebanon facing around $8.5 billion in physical and economic damage, according to a recent World Bank report.