Report: Araghchi told Qassem to show leniency, even on arms
In his latest meeting with Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi relayed a message from Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei that “Hezbollah should observe vigilance and caution and adapt to the new situation in the region,” sources close to Hezbollah said.
Araghchi also told Qassem that Hezbollah’s “religious duty” at the moment is to “protect itself until the situations change,” advising the group’s leadership to “soften its rhetoric and seek rapprochement with the Lebanese state during this period,” the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper quoted the sources as saying.
“Qassem responded by saying that Israel want to eradicate Hezbollah through the removal of arms, prompting Araghchi to say that the arms can be recovered if they were handed over and that what’s important is Hezbollah’s survival, which led to uncomfortable silence during the meeting that eventually ended in a tepid fashion,” the sources added.
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