ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran’s national security chief said that Tehran stands by countries in the region, namely Iraq and Lebanon, but will not interfere in their internal affairs or give them orders.

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, conducted a trip to Iraq and Lebanon last week, meeting with top officials and notable figures amid increasing pressure on Baghdad and Beirut from international partners, mainly Washington, to cut ties with Tehran.

During Larijani’s visit to Baghdad, he signed a joint security Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araji, relating to security coordination between the two countries. Washington has opposed the MoU.

“The fundamental point in the security MoU between Iran and Iraq is the commitment of both countries not to allow individuals, groups, or third countries to interfere in the understanding and security between them, and not to use the territory of one of them against the other, nor for any other country to interfere in the internal security affairs of either of them,” Larijani said during an interview with local media on Sunday.

Following his trip to Iraq, Larijani also visited Lebanon, meeting with the country’s President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem.

Earlier this month, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced a timeline for pro-Iran Hezbollah to lay down arms before the end of 2025. Ali-Akbar Velayati, a senior foreign policy advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said that disarming Hezbollah is a policy dictated by the US and Israel, describing it as “a dream which will never come true.”

“Our discussion with Lebanon is that we stand with you in all circumstances. Of course, the Lebanese nation are the decision-makers and we do not interfere in Lebanon's internal affairs, but as we have always been beside them, we are beside them today as well,” said Larijani on Sunday.

“If regional countries ask for our help, we provide assistance and cooperation - of course if we can - therefore, whether in Iraq or other countries, our position is that we have a duty to stand beside our brothers, but we don't give them orders,” he added.

The Lebanese foreign ministry previously condemned Velayati’s comments as “a flagrant and unacceptable interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs.”

In the meeting between Qassem and Larijani, the Hezbollah chief thanked Iran for what he called its “ongoing support” to Lebanon and its fight against Israel. He also spoke about what he described as the “brotherly relations” between the Lebanese and Iranian people.

Founded in 1982 to oppose the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, Hezbollah has enjoyed strong ties with and received extensive material support from Iran, with the group forming the lynchpin of Tehran's “Axis of Resistance” across the Middle East.