Iran Ambassador Says Presidential Election a Local Issue

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Iran's Ambassador to Beirut Mohammed Fathali has stressed that it was up to Lebanon's rival leaders to resolve the country's presidential deadlock.

“This is an internal Lebanese issue,” the diplomat told al-Akhbar newspaper in an interview published on Friday.

“All parties should take care of this issue because it is linked to the people's interest,” he said.

Fathali made the comment in response to a question on whether contacts have been made with Tehran with regards to Lebanon's presidential crisis.

Baabda Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended in May last year.

Sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Thursday that French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius urged his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani during talks they held a day earlier to try to resolve the presidential deadlock in Lebanon.

But the Iranian officials hinted that Tehran is not yet ready to use its influence in the region to interfere in the presidential crisis as long as the nuclear deal with Iran is still in its implementation stage, said the sources.

Fathali hoped that the deal signed between Iran and six world powers — the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany — would help improve economic ties with Lebanon.

“Lebanon enjoys a wide banking sector,” said the diplomat, adding “Iran also enjoys diverse economic capabilities.”

The July 14 deal is meant to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.

Comments 12
Default-user-icon the_roar (Guest) 31 July 2015, 08:46

Dear Ambassador Fatbehali
Do you know if flamethrower and I should continue to post under 60 aliases like whoopsy, poor.slam, and others? or should we come out clean like mowaten did and just vote ourselves up like he does?
I really need your advice.

Default-user-icon Ambassador Fatbehali (Guest) 31 July 2015, 08:48

Dearest the_roar
My advise to you and flamethrower is to do both: continue using the fake accounts that you are using and also post under your usual aliases. Mowaten has been very successful at using these two methods simultaneously.

Thumb EagleDawn 31 July 2015, 09:00

It is, and is as credible as when mowaten says he is lebanese and secular.

Missing humble 31 July 2015, 09:19

Pity. All of them have exchanged their Lebanese patriotism to an Iranian affiliation and a backaged culture!!!

Thumb Mystic 31 July 2015, 19:27

If you knew any better.
The Yemeni army is fighting alongside the Ansarullah.

Hadis thugs and Al Qaeda works together yes.

Default-user-icon flamethrower_.. (Guest) 31 July 2015, 09:45

hello @lebjack
I value your opinion and I believe you are in the know. Could you please tell me why I was banned and humiliated?

Missing humble 31 July 2015, 10:38

Of course it is an internal affair to the Lebanese...what about Ebola which is Iranian????

Missing humble 31 July 2015, 10:50

The enemies of Lebanon (in addition to the takfiris, terrorists and Israel) are:
1 - Syria
2 - Iran
3 - Ebola
4 - Caporal
5 - Any Lebanese supporting Ebola and any Christian supporting Caporal.

Default-user-icon zionist.naharnet (Guest) 31 July 2015, 15:54

God bless you flamethrower for voting 18 times

Default-user-icon +oua nabka + (Guest) 31 July 2015, 16:45

god bless the sudanese president
god bless democracy

Thumb Elemental 01 August 2015, 09:26

Ah Flamethrower, I'm no Saudi, nor Iranian, I'm Lebanese you sad individual. It's pathetic you can't even come up with your own quotes...typical Iranian tool.

Thumb Elemental 01 August 2015, 20:15

Phobia? Learn some English, all I find about you and your fake accounts is nothing but a laugh, it's sad and pathetic each time you make another and another. Entertaining nonetheless, but hardly phobia...tool.