Iran will attend former Hezbollah chief’s funeral at highest level: Ministry spokesperson

TEHRAN (Iran News) Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei says Iran will participate in the funeral ceremony for former Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah at the highest level.

During a regular press briefing on Monday, Baghaei said Nasrallah’s funeral would be very important and Iran will therefore attend at the highest level. He did not provide details.

Asked about a recent dispute with the Lebanese government in which Beirut did not permit Iranian passenger aircraft to fly to Lebanon, and a phone conversation between Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Lebanese counterpart, Baghaei said Araghchi had emphasized that third parties should not be allowed to affect decision making.

“Conversations continue on, and we hope to reach a rational solution that would meet the interests of Iranian and Lebanese people,” he said.

‘U.S.’s words and deeds are not compatible’

The spokesperson said U.S. officials were saying one thing but doing another with regards to Iran.

“You can’t on the one hand threaten [someone] with ‘obliteration’ and on the other claim to support negotiations,” he said.

‘Iran’s interests section in Washington ready to assist Iranians expelled from U.S.’

Baghaei said Iran’s Interests Section in Washington, D.C., was ready to assist with those Iranian expatriates who had been expelled “improperly” from the United States.

He said the United States’ move to expel the Iranians was both wrong in terms of international law and human principles.

On Iranian nationals murdered in France

Baghaei said several weeks had passed since two Iranian nationals were murdered in France and said Iran expected pertinent French authorities to provide “more precise and transparent information” as to the nature of the crime and the motivations behind it.

“We are following up on the matter through our Embassy in France and France’s Embassy in Tehran,” he added.

‘Qatar’s Emir will be carrying no message to Iran’

Asked whether Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will be carrying a message from the United States to Iran during his upcoming visit, the spokesperson responded in the negative.

‘IAEA chief should speak on matters that relate to his area of responsibility’

Baghaei said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Rafael Grossi should refrain from causing political inflammation. He said Grossi should comment on matters that fall within his bailiwick.

‘Iran-China relations as strong as ever’

Asked about rumors that China is refusing to take Iranian oil shipments, the spokesperson said relations between Iran and China were “very strong and solid.”

“These relations are historical and based on mutual interests and common views in various fields, and we can speak about them definitively. Therefore, these relations will go on unaffected by destructive outside forces,” he said.