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Sun, Nov 05, 2010 | The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri looks at weapons with Iran’s Defence Minister Mohammad Najar at a military exhibition in Tehran yesterday. Hariri, who arrived in Tehran, visited an exhibition dedicated to the achievements of Iran’s defence industry. (Photo: Reuters)

“Hariri’s visit to Tehran will strengthen Tehran-Damascus-Beirut axis of resistance”

This week, Iranian media has devoted considerable attention to Lebanese PM Saad al-Hariri’s visit to Tehran, citing it as an example of rapprochement between Iran and Lebanon on the backdrop of the coming release of the Rafik al-Hariri assassination report.

The government daily Iran defined Hariri’s visit as Beirut’s answer to Tehran’s “peaceful diplomacy”, reflecting the defeat of the American and Israeli policy aimed at intensifying tensions inside Lebanon. According to the daily, the visit reflects not only Iran’s unique position in the region but also its positive role in promoting national unity in Lebanon (Iran, November 28).

The conservative daily Qods argued that Hariri’s visit would play an effective role in clearing the political atmosphere in Lebanon on the backdrop of the coming release of the international tribunal report on his father’s murder, and strengthen the ties between Iran and Lebanon. A commentary article published by the daily says that ever since Rafik al-Hariri’s assassination, the U.S. and Israel have been exerting significant efforts in an attempt to crush the “axis of resistance”. President Ahmadinejad’s visit to Lebanon this past October has, according to the daily, changed the way various political factions in Lebanon view Hezbollah and Iranian-Lebanese relations. Following up on that visit, Hariri’s own visit to Tehran may mark the beginning of a new chapter in the cooperation between the two countries and strengthen the Tehran-Damascus-Beirut axis in a way that will have a positive impact on Lebanon’s stability (Qods, November 28).

The daily Tehran Emrouz also claimed that Hariri’s visit to Iran indicated a major strategic change in Iranian-Lebanese relations. The U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia are trying to take advantage of the coming report on Hariri’s murder to undermine Hezbollah’s position and dissolve the Tehran-Damascus-Beirut axis. Iran has an important part in dealing with the elements that would like to destabilize the internal situation in Lebanon. The daily noted that, in addition to the coming publication of the report, Hariri’s visit to Tehran was motivated by other developments: Israel’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Ghajar region, which, according to the daily, was aimed to facilitate the completion of the UN takeover of the sovereign territory of south Lebanon, and the deteriorating health of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, which compromised the Saudi position in Lebanon. In light of the developments, Hariri was forced to seek Iran’s help; his visit may strengthen the Tehran-Damascus-Beirut axis and tilt the regional political situation in favor of Middle Eastern nations, particularly the Lebanese people (Tehran Emrouz, November 28).

A more reserved approach to the visit was expressed by the conservative daily Jomhuri-ye Eslami. An editorial published by the daily earlier this week said that Hariri’s visit could be considered a positive step towards the start of a new era in Iranian-Lebanese relations. One cannot ignore, however, the ongoing attempts by the Zionists and the West to hit the Islamic resistance movement in Lebanon and restore Western hegemony to that country to ensure the security of the “Zionist regime”. The daily argued that the alliance between Hariri and the radical Christian bloc, whose relations with the West and Israel are beyond question, was a cause for concern, and that one should not expect that the Lebanese PM would change his attitude towards the Islamic resistance movement following his visit to Lebanon. The Iranian people expect Hariri to at least not oppose the Islamic resistance movement (Jomhuri-ye Eslami, November 27).