Lebanon refused a $60 million aid offer from Iran, citing concerns over international sanctions, the Islamic Republic’s ambassador to Beirut Mojtaba Amani said on Saturday, amid tension over Hezbollah’s arms and Tehran's role in Beirut's politics.
"The Iranian nation sent aid to the Lebanese people, including $60 million and oil supplies, but the Lebanese government refused to accept it because Iran is under sanctions," Amani said in an interview with Lebanon's LBCI TV.
He said the aid could have helped address part of the Lebanese people’s problems at a time when the country is struggling with economic and social crises.
"The Americans have been promising assistance to Lebanon for three years but have failed to deliver on their promise," the envoy said.
Given the tightening of US and UN sanctions against Iran, any financial dealings or aid from Tehran face international restrictions and sensitivities.
Earlier, Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said during a visit to Lebanon that Iran was ready to cooperate in the country’s reconstruction following Israeli attacks.
Hezbollah disarmament
Iran has no information regarding weapons held by Hezbollah, the Iranian ambassador in Beirut said, amid mounting calls by the US and the international community for the Tehran-backed group's disarmament.
Amani said he did not have precise information on whether Hezbollah would again use its weapons against Israel, but said that Sheikh Naim Qassem, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, has said the group is ready to confront any war or attack.
Amani said resistance "is not limited to weapons but stems from willpower — a will that can expel the occupier."
Lebanon’s president Joseph Aoun told Larijani in August that no group may bear arms or depend on foreign support, stressing that cooperation must remain within “national sovereignty and mutual respect.”
The issue has gained urgency as the United States pushes a new plan for Hezbollah’s disarmament, delivered by President Donald Trump’s regional envoy Tom Barrack. The proposal lays out Washington’s most detailed steps yet to remove the group’s weapons after its war with Israel last year.
Founded in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah has grown into Lebanon’s most powerful military and political organization, with capabilities surpassing the national army. The group has fought multiple wars with Israel and repeatedly rejected demands to dismantle its military wing.
In August, the Lebanese cabinet ordered the army to draw up plans to disarm Hezbollah as part of a broader effort to consolidate state control over weapons under a US-backed truce with Israel. Tehran condemned the move, accusing Western powers of seeking to weaken Lebanon’s defenses.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem warned in August that any attempt to seize the group’s arsenal “would plunge Lebanon into war,” vowing the Iran-backed movement would not give up its arms.
