Tehran [Iran], June 6 (ANI): The Iranian Foreign Ministry has sharply hit back at Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, utilising a social media post written in Arabic with a distinct Lebanese dialect to accuse him of political betrayal following comments made by the leader regarding Tehran's regional influence.

The diplomatic spat erupted after President Aoun alleged that Iran exploits Lebanon as a leverage point in its geopolitical dealings with Washington.

Reacting swiftly on X, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei delivered a pointed rebuke aimed at the Lebanese head of state.

'He sells the one standing next to him and buys the one standing against him. He leaves the one who supported him and follows the one who choked him,' Baghaei stated in his post.

https://x.com/IRIMFA_SPOX/status/2063122777603744030?s=20

The escalating war of words follows earlier assertions by President Aoun, who had commented on the state of complex diplomatic talks, noting that while negotiations remained arduous, a significant breakthrough had nevertheless been secured.

During those remarks, the Lebanese President had explicitly targeted Tehran's foreign policy objectives, accusing Iran of utilising Lebanon as a 'bargaining chip' in its ongoing diplomatic manoeuvres with the United States.

Expanding the Iranian offensive, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also fiercely rejected the allegations, deploying a highly sarcastic tone to suggest that Beirut was misidentifying its actual adversary.

'Based on Mr Aoun's comments, one would think it's Iran that has occupied 1/5 of Lebanon, displaced 1/4 of Lebanese and is bombing his country on a daily basis,' Araghchi wrote on X, pointing the finger away from Tehran despite growing regional resentment over its proxy network operations.

He challenged the Lebanese leadership to pivot its focus towards its southern neighbour, adding, 'Save Lebanon from the real foe, Mr President.'

This public war of words comes on the heels of a high-stakes interview broadcast by CNN on Friday, where a defiant Aoun aggressively targeted Iran's geopolitical overreach.

Addressing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directly, the President declared, 'It's not your country, it's our country... It's not your job to interfere in our country,' before reiterating that using his nation as leverage in negotiations with the United States is 'unacceptable.'

The blistering friction unfolds against the backdrop of relentless hostilities that erupted after Hezbollah triggered a catastrophic war by launching rocket attacks on Israel on 2 March.

The militia claimed the cross-border aggression was in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in joint US-Israeli strikes days earlier, a provocation that prompted Israel to respond with an extensive aerial bombardment campaign and a sweeping ground offensive inside Lebanese territory.

Faced with severe domestic devastation, Aoun stressed that dialogue remains the only realistic option for resolving the spiralling crisis.

'Hezbollah must understand that (there is) no other way but to sit and talk, no other way to solve this problem and to save what's left except through negotiation and diplomacy,' he told CNN.

Taking a direct swipe at the militia's leader, Naim Qassem, the President added, 'It's the Lebanese people; they are not Naim Qassem('s) people,' because 'The majority of the Lebanese people are fed up with war.'

The President's public pushback followed a fragile truce understanding brokered on Wednesday in Washington, where Lebanese and Israeli representatives agreed to a tentative ceasefire arrangement contingent upon a 'complete cessation' of Hezbollah attacks, though the framework notably does not explicitly require Israel to halt its own military operations.

However, this diplomatic breakthrough already faces immense hurdles on the ground.

Neither Israel nor Hezbollah has adhered to an earlier ceasefire that took effect on 17 April, while Tehran continues to obstinately tie the bloodletting to the broader conflict in the Persian Gulf, exemplified by the head of the IRGC's foreign operations arm demanding that Israeli forces must withdraw from frontline positions.

Pivotally, Aoun also addressed Israel directly, indicating that there is currently 'a great opportunity to end the state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel.'

He maintained that the highly sensitive issue of Hezbollah's massive arsenal must be handled internally by the sovereign state 'on one condition -- that we remove the root causes of the existence of its weapons,' citing the absolute necessity of a full Israeli withdrawal.

Directly challenging the political will of the Israeli leadership, Aoun asked, 'You need to show some willingness and commitment to end this war... We are willing, we are committed. Are you?'

While pushing for a diplomatic off-ramp, the Lebanese head of state issued a warning that pure military force would fail to achieve Israel's long-term objectives, stating, 'Israel can flatten the whole country, but they will never be able to achieve their objective,' before pointing out, 'They've tried it in Gaza. Hamas still exists.'

This remains a foundational challenge for the region, as Hezbollah is currently Lebanon's only armed faction that brazenly refused to surrender its weapons after the 1975-1990 civil war, maintaining the narrative that its independent military arsenal is necessary to resist occupation. (ANI)