The Lebanese Foreign Ministry has summoned the Iranian ambassador, Hazanfar Rokenbadi, on charges in Iran against the Maronite patriarch a-Ra'i, in support of normalization with Israel
Diplomatic incident in Beirut
Photo:
AFP
Abnormal diplomatic tensions:
Lebanese Foreign Ministry summoned Iran's ambassador to Beirut, Hazanfar Rokenbadi, to reprimand following serious accusations made in the Iranian media against the Maronite patriarch, Bishara al-Ra'i.
The Iranian channel Al-Alam, which broadcasts in Arabic, accused the patriarch of supporting normalization with Israel.
In an attempt to satisfy all the elements at home and abroad, the Lebanese Foreign Minister, who is a Maronite Christian himself, Sharbel Wahba, tried to send a conciliatory message even before the reprimand call that will take place tomorrow (Monday).
"This will be an honest conversation that will be based on the friendship between the countries," Wahba said.
He said Lebanese ambassador to Tehran, Hassan Abbas, had updated the Beirut in Beirut on al-Alam's reports.
"He said the Iranian government had apologized and condemned the allegations," the Lebanese foreign minister added.
In the best tradition of the problems in the land of cedars, those responsible for creating the commotion are the emissaries of the ayatollahs' regime in Lebanon - Hezbollah.
It all started on February 27, then at a conference in Kirky on the outskirts of Beirut, the Maronite patriarch declared that "the state must advocate neutrality so that it does not fall victim to conflicts in the region."
He added that it was necessary to hold a conference in Lebanon under the auspices of the UN, to discuss the dismal state of the land of the cedars.
"We oppose the call of the Maronite patriarch to an international conference," Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadallah responded.
He added that "international intervention is a danger to Lebanon."
In an attempt to send a more forceful message to the patriarch, the kind they would not be able to deliver within Lebanon, Hezbollah apparently took care of the particularly aggressive publication in al-'Alm.
"A-Ra'i is planning measures against Hezbollah, and defines them as a militia loyal to Iran," al-Alam wrote.
The Maronite Patriarchate was outraged, saying: "This is an insulting report published by a foreign media body.
This is an attack on Lebanese interior issues, as well as on church issues. "
