ISTANBUL 

Lebanon on Saturday strongly condemned comments by Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, opposing a government decision to disarm Hezbollah, calling them a “flagrant and unacceptable interference” in the country’s internal affairs.

Velayati told Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency that Tehran “definitely opposes the disarmament of Hezbollah, as it has supported and continues to support the Lebanese people and the resistance.”

In a statement, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry said it “will not permit any external party, whether friend or foe, to speak on behalf of its people or to claim any form of tutelage over its sovereign decisions.”

The ministry accused some Iranian officials of repeatedly overstepping by making unwarranted statements on Lebanese domestic matters, stressing that such behavior “will not be tolerated by the Lebanese State under any circumstances.”

It urged Tehran’s leadership to “focus on the issues of its own people and address their needs and aspirations, rather than involving itself in matters that do not concern it.”

“Lebanon’s future, its policies, and its political system are decided solely by the Lebanese people, through their democratic constitutional institutions, free from any interference, dictates, pressure, or overreach,” the statement added.

The ministry vowed to remain steadfast in defending the country’s sovereignty and to respond, in line with diplomatic norms, to any attempt to undermine its authority or incite against its decisions.

The diplomatic exchange comes as Lebanon’s government moves forward with a plan to limit all arms possession to the national army by the end of the year, a move Hezbollah has strongly rejected as politically motivated and aligned with Israeli and US pressure.

‎‏Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has ordered the military to prepare an implementation roadmap for the plan, while President Joseph Aoun unveiled a broader national proposal, including Israeli withdrawal, prisoner releases, and full state control over arms.

‎‏Hezbollah has termed the push a “grave sin” and is dismissing it “as if it doesn’t exist.”