Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he would "gladly accept" an invitation to travel to Beirut from his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Rajji, who a day earlier had declined to visit Tehran for direct talks.
Mr Rajji had said "current conditions" prevented him from travelling to Tehran but added Mr Araghchi was always welcome in Lebanon. The latter travelled to Lebanon in June.
Mr Rajji had insisted the move “does not mean a refusal to engage in dialogue” and proposed meeting Mr Araghchi in a third country.
But late on Thursday Mr Araghchi said he would "gladly accept the invitation to come to Beirut", although he said he found Mr Rajji's position "bemusing". He said foreign ministers of countries with "full diplomatic relations" did not need a neutral venue to meet.
"Subjected to Israeli occupation and blatant 'ceasefire' violations, I fully understand why my esteemed Lebanese counterpart is not prepared to visit Tehran," he added.
Earlier this month Mr Araghchi invited Mr Rajji to Iran “to consult on the development of bilateral relations and review regional and international developments”, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said at the time.
Iran has heavily criticised the Lebanese government's move to disarm Hezbollah, which was Iran's most powerful proxy in a network of regional armed groups that opposed Israel and its main backer, the US. The group also held extensive sway over Lebanese affairs.
Lebanese officials have previously criticised comments by Iranian officials perceived as interfering in Lebanon's affairs, typically regarding Hezbollah. The group was severely weakened by its latest war with Israel last year and has been forced to retreat from southern border areas.
Israel has continued to attack Lebanon daily and occupies five points of Lebanese territory, in breach of a ceasefire deal agreed a year ago.
During a visit to Beirut by Iran's top security official Ali Larijani this year, President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told him of their deep dissatisfaction over criticism from Tehran about the Lebanese government's plan to disarm Hezbollah.
