BEIRUT, Lebanon, Jan. 9 (UPI) — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday accused the United States and Israel of “direct involvement” in his country’s ongoing anti-government street protests and trying to turn them into violence, while dismissing their military intervention as “a faint possibility.”
Speaking during a press conference after meeting Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri, Araghchi said the current wave of demonstrations in Iran was similar, “to a large extent,” to the popular protests that erupted in Lebanon in 2019, when the collapse of the national currency and rising hard currency prices sparked widespread unrest.
He said the government in Tehran was trying to “avoid this problem” and resolve it through dialogue.
“What is different this time are the statements by American and Israeli officials indicating their direct involvement and interference in the unrest in Iran,” he said. “They are trying hard to turn these peaceful protests into violence.”
He cited as an example Mike Pompeo, the former CIA director and US secretary of state, who addressed Iranian protesters in a post on X in January, saying: “Happy birthday to every Iranian in the streets. Also to every Mossad agent walking alongside them…”.
According to the Norway-based non-governmental organization Iran Human Rights, at least 51 protesters, including nine children under the age of 18, have been killed, hundreds injured and more than 2,200 detained in the latest round of nationwide protests in Iran.
The unrest, which began on December 28 in Tehran’s bazaar due to poor economic conditions, quickly spread to other parts of the country.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran and “come to the rescue” of protesters if they are harmed by security forces.
Araghchi dismissed as “thin and tenuous” the possibility of a US-Israeli military intervention in his country, saying they had tried before — referring to the 12-day war in June 2025 — and that “it was a total failure.” He added that if he did it again, “the results would be the same.”
The visiting foreign minister, who met with several Lebanese officials, said his two-day visit to Beirut was aimed at strengthening bilateral political, economic and cultural ties and discussing how to deal with growing Israeli threats that “threaten all people in the region”.
“We are trying to open a new page in our relations … one that serves and respects our mutual interests,” Araghchi said, expressing hope that his visit would mark the beginning of a new chapter and a “launching point” for Iran-Lebanon ties.
Lebanon’s new leaders, who have been in power for a year, have taken bold decisions on Hezbollah, the country’s most powerful militant group, which has been funded and armed by Iran for more than four decades.
Chief among these was the decision to assert the country’s sovereignty and contain weapons — meaning the disarmament of Hezbollah — under the November 27, 2024 cease-fire agreement brokered by the United States and France to end the 14-month war with Israel.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji went a step further, asking Araghchi during their meeting on Friday morning if Tehran “accepts the presence of an illegal armed organization on its territory” – similar to Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Rajji said that the defense of Lebanon is the responsibility of the Lebanese state, but this cannot happen in the presence of “an armed organization outside its authority”.
He called on Iran to discuss with Lebanon “a new approach regarding Hezbollah’s weapons” so that they do not become “a pretext to weaken Lebanon.”
Araghchi replied that Iran supports Hezbollah “as a resistance group, but does not interfere in its affairs, and any decision regarding Lebanon is left to the party itself.”
He added, however, that dialogue between the two countries is necessary to deal with “challenges and risks” arising from differences in their approach “to certain issues”.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stressed, in separate statements after talks with the visiting Iranian official, the importance of establishing healthy relations with Iran based on mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
Araghchi, who also met Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem, rejected threats to “deprive his country of its right to peaceful nuclear energy or develop defensive capabilities” — conditions set by the United States and Israel to prevent an attack on Iran.
He confirmed that Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi was scheduled to visit Tehran on Saturday and, asked by a reporter if he would bring a new US proposal to the talks, said he was “waiting to see if he carries any letter or proposal from any party.”
Regarding Syria, Araghchi said Iran supports its sovereignty and unity and rejects any measure aimed at dividing the country or occupying its territories.
“The stability of Syria is important for all countries in the region,” he added, noting that Syrian authorities should understand that any rapprochement with the “Israeli Zionist” entity is not in Damascus’ interest and that normalization would lead to “Zionist conspiracies” against the Arab nation.
Over the past year, Syria and Israel have engaged in on-and-off negotiations aimed at reaching a security agreement to stabilize their shared border, prevent repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, and possibly pave the way for future diplomatic normalization.