Larijani Praises Qassem's New Era with KSA

Regional Cooperation Amid Rising Tensions

A prominent Iranian security official has urged regional countries to set aside their differences and work closely together in the face of what he described as "Israel's conspiracies." Ali Larijani, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, made these remarks during a visit to Beirut, where he arrived earlier in the week to attend the anniversary of Israel's assassination of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon.

Iran has long been the primary backer of Hezbollah, providing it with weapons and financial support that have helped transform the group into one of the most formidable militant organizations in the Middle East. However, Hezbollah suffered significant losses during a 14-month conflict with Israel, which concluded with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November. Many of its political and military leaders were killed in Israeli airstrikes.

The recent Israel-Hezbollah conflict began shortly after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza. In response, Hezbollah started launching rockets into Israel from Lebanon, supporting Hamas and the Palestinians.

In June, Israel conducted airstrikes in Iran, leading to a 12-day war between the two nations. This conflict resulted in the deaths of several key Iranian military commanders and targeted Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles, while also significantly weakening its air defenses.

Earlier this month, Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas' political leadership in Qatar, where the group's top figures were meeting to discuss a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Larijani emphasized the importance of regional cooperation, stating, "Today, amid Israel's conspiracies, regional states should closely cooperate and even if there were disagreements between them they should put these disagreements aside." He made these comments following a nearly one-hour meeting with Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Larijani praised the call by Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem for Saudi Arabia to move forward after years of strained relations, calling it "a step in the right direction." He noted that both Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah share a common enemy in Israel.

When asked about reports suggesting that Israel might launch new strikes against Iran, Larijani responded, "We are ready to face all scenarios, but I don't think that the Israelis will behave in this stupid way." He added, "If they do that, they will receive strong retaliation," though he did not provide further details.

Later on Saturday, thousands of people attended a ceremony held near Nasrallah's grave in a southern Beirut suburb. Attendees included Larijani and other Lebanese and Hezbollah officials.

During the ceremony, Qassem delivered a televised speech, stating that Hezbollah is rebuilding its military capabilities and is prepared to confront any "escalation by Israel." He reiterated the group's rejection of the Lebanese government's recent decision to disarm Hezbollah, emphasizing that the group will not surrender its weapons because "we are in the middle of an existential war" with Israel.