BEIRUT: The Future Movement-led March 14 coalition criticized Wednesday a controversial statement made by an Iranian general and warned Tehran against attempts to ignite war in south Lebanon.

March 14 “believes that remarks made by Iranian general Qassem Suleimani reflect Iran’s domineering attitude toward Lebanon and the south, which makes the stability of southerners' lives subject to Tehran’s decision,” a statement at the end of the coalition’s weekly meeting said.

The head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, had reportedly said that both south Lebanon and Iraq fall under Iran’s influence.

But Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon has stressed that Suleimani’s comments, which drew the ire of the opposition March 14 coalition, were misconstrued.

In its Wednesday statement, March 14 condemned “such remarks” and expressed surprise over the government’s silence toward Suleimani’s comments.

The coalition warned “the Iranian regime against attempting – directly or through Hezbollah – to trigger [war] and deflect the Iranian regime's crisis onto Lebanon.”

March 14 reiterated its support for the Arab Spring, saying it stands with all the Arab revolutions.

On Syria, the coalition criticized the Lebanese government's policy of disassociation.

“March 14 strongly condemns what the government calls "disassociating itself" from the developments in Syria, which has been interpreted as bias toward the Syrian regime,” the statement said.

The group believes that the "disassociation policy,” which is meant to protect Lebanon from the repercussions of the unrest in Syria, has “turned into a systematic policy in support of the Syrian regime.”

The coalition also denounced the weekend killing by Syrian troops of a Lebanese teenager who was on a fishing boat off north Lebanon with his two uncles.

It urged the government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati to file a complaint with the United Nations against Syria’s ongoing violations of Lebanese sovereignty.

March 14 also urged the government to summon Syria’s Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel-Karim Ali and demand an apology from him for the boy’s killing.