Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has instructed the Foreign Minister to summon the Iranian Chargé d'Affaires in Beirut following reports that Tehran expressed readiness to negotiate over a UN resolution related to Lebanon.
In an interview with Le Figaro on Thursday, Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf indicated Iran's openness to talks with France regarding UN Resolution 1701, which focuses on reducing tensions with Israel after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
Mikati asserted that the responsibility for negotiating the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 rests solely with the Lebanese state.
"We are surprised by this position, which constitutes a blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an attempt to establish a rejected guardianship over Lebanon," a government statement quoted Mikati as saying.
