Iran invites Lebanon's foreign minister to discuss bilateral ties

DUBAI, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi invited Lebanon's Foreign Minister Youssef Raji to visit Iran in the near future to discuss bilateral ties, Iran's foreign ministry said on Thursday, amid a U.S.-backed roadmap in Lebanon to disarm the Iran-aligned Hezbollah group.

"Araqchi, inviting his Lebanese counterpart to discuss the development of bilateral relations and review regional and international developments, expressed confidence that the Lebanese people and government will successfully overcome existing threats and challenges," Iran's foreign ministry said.

The announcement came a day after Israel and Lebanon sent civilian envoys to a military committee monitoring their ceasefire in a move set to expand the scope of talks between the long-time foes for the first time.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday Lebanon was open to the committee taking on a direct verification role to check Israeli claims that Hezbollah is re-arming, and verify the work of the Lebanese army in dismantling the militant group's infrastructure.

Israel and Lebanon agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in 2024 that ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. They have since traded accusations over violations.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, visited Beirut in August where he said Lebanon should not confuse its enemies with its friends.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Toby Chopra and Ed Osmond)

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