Iran’s hard-line parliament speaker Mohammad Qalibaf registers as a presidential candidate
Associated PressMay 25
Iran: New FM Visits Lebanon, Syria on First Trip Abroad
Image copyright: Mostafa Asgari via Wikimedia Commons
The Facts
On his first international trip, Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani met with Syrian Pres. Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad on Tuesday following meetings in Lebanon the day before.
Bagheri Kani and his counterpart discussed the need for an immediate Gaza cease-fire and the unconditional provision of humanitarian aid to the strip. Like his predecessor, he also met with Palestinian groups at the Iranian embassy in Damascus.
The Spin
Pro-Iran narrative
After the tragic death of his predecessor, Bagheri Kani's first trip abroad is an impressive display of political continuity in the face of Israel's aggression in Gaza. More firmly than in the past, and despite sanctions and threats, Iran will reinforce the synergy between the Axis of Resistance in its just struggle against the Israeli regime and its unprecedented crimes. The Israeli occupation is the cause of chaos and regional instability, and Iran and its allies are not going to stand idly by.
Anti-Iran narrative
Bagheri Kani may pretend to champion the Palestinian cause, but this has nothing to do with reality. Iran's proxy war against Israel is not serving the Palestinians, and will not lead to the creation of a Palestinian state. Even the Palestinian Authority is realizing that Tehran is sacrificing the blood of Palestinians only to foster its geopolitical goals. Tehran's alleged concern for peace and stability is a sham to cover for its expansionist ambitions.