Iran's Larijani seeks proxy revival in Iraq, Lebanon as regional axis falters
Ali Larijani's first foreign visit to Iraq and Lebanon as top security official reflects Tehran's urgency to restore a shrinking strategic foothold and reinvigorate its battered Axis of Resistance amid shifting regional dynamics.
TEHRAN — Iran's newly appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, chose Baghdad and Beirut as the destinations for his first foreign tour — a sign that the two remain central to Tehran's security calculus and its broader Axis of Resistance.
The Iraq visit, which centered on a bilateral border-security memorandum of understanding that was signed, was more than a ceremonial affair. It underscored Tehran's campaign to shore up a network of regional allies and proxies currently under severe strain after almost two years of war with Israel that has significantly shifted Middle East power dynamics.
Larijani's meetings with Iraqi officials, less than a week after his appointment, culminated in the signing of what the Islamic Republic and its media have described as a "very important" security pact.
The agreement, according to official readouts, aims to reinforce the Iran-Iraq frontier, prevent cross-border infiltration and enhance coordination against Kurdish opposition groups.
