Mansour meets with Iranian delegation over Iranian embassy twin blasts

The state-run National News Agency reported on Thursday that an Iranian judicial delegation, presided by Deputy Justice Minister Abdel Ali Mirkouhi, met with caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Adnan Mansour over the investigations into the twin blasts that targeted the Iranian embassy in Beirut last November.

During the meeting, the delegation expressed readiness to cooperate with the Lebanese authorities and to offer its expertise in the ongoing investigations.

“Iran condemns all forms of terrorism that target the people and the security of countries,” Mirkouhi said.

He also noted that no country can confront terrorism threats alone, adding that international or regional cooperation is required in this regard.

Prior to meeting with Mansour, the delegation had held talks with Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Jean Kahwaji.

The delegation also held talks with caretaker Minister of Interior Marwan Charbel.

Mirkouhi asserted to Charbel that Iran supports Lebanon in addressing terrorist and criminal attacks, slamming all forms of terrorism.

The delegation is scheduled to meet with a number of Lebanese officials, including caretaker Minister of Justice Shakib Qortbawi, and General Prosecutor Samir Hammoud.

A double suicide attack targeted on Tuesday, November 19 the Iranian embassy in south Beirut’s Bir Hassan region, killing at least 23 people, wounding 146 and damaging buildings in the embassy compound.

Live footage from local news channels showed charred bodies on the ground as flames rose from the remains of several vehicles. Aid workers and residents carried away some of the victims on blankets.

Caretaker Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil stated that the Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sheikh Ibrahim Ansari was killed in the blasts. Ansari took his post in Lebanon a month ago and was overseeing all regional cultural activities.

The Abdullah Azzam brigades, a Lebanon-based al-Qaeda affiliate, said it was behind a double suicide attack on the Iranian embassy.