Iran’s Military Gift to Lebanon First Step in Armed Forces Cooperation: Iranian Ambassador

Local Editor

Iran is ready for forwarding a consignment of arms and munitions to Lebanon as a gift, quite unconditionally, Iran's ambassador to Lebanon said on Monday.

"Any side that is opposed to the forwarding of Iran's arms and ammunitions to the Lebanese Army is neither heeding Lebanon's interests, nor caring about the campaign against terrorism," said Ambassador Mohammad Fat'hali in an interview published in Monday's edition of the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council [SNSC], Ali Shamkhani, who visited Lebanon on September 28-29, 2014, has earlier announced Iran's full readiness for defense cooperation with Lebanon, based on Beirut's demands.

Moreover, in the interview with Al-Akhbar, Fat'hali was asked about the reason why Iran has announced its readiness to forward a consignment of arms and munitions to Lebanon.

"Iran attaches special attention to its relations with Lebanon and its security and especially today, when due to the aggressions of the terrorists this country is suffering from a huge crisis," Fat'hali replied.

Fat'hali said that Iran considers it a duty for itself to stand firm by the side of the resistance axis countries, including Lebanon, and to tell them that they are not alone in the campaign against terrorism.

"Iran is ready to stand by the side of the resistance axis countries quite frankly, and not merely by expressing sensations and sorrow, and in doing so we express our readiness by forwarding military contributions," he reiterated.

He said that every country's army can contribute to the campaign against terrorism and Iran's contributions in that respect have been forwarded in the course of the past decades, whose achievements and success has been quite tangible.

"We believe today, too, we can donate military contributions to the heroic Lebanese Army," he added, further stressing that Iran's arms and munitions gift to the Lebanese Army is exclusively for the campaign against terrorism, unconditional and quite free of charge.

Furthermore, Fat'hali referred to the comments made by the Secretary of Iranian Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani during his recent visit of Lebanon, stressing that there is no such thing as a deal, or a third party involved in Iran's military gift to Lebanon.

In response to a question on the recently expressed US opposition to the forwarding of Iranian arms and munitions to Lebanon, Fat'hali considered it a sign of the US double standards in campaign against terrorism.

"We believe the so-called international coalition against terrorism is not truly determined to fight against the terrorists, while the terrorists have emerged as a cancerous gland plaguing the region and campaign against them is in need of the establishment of a solid and united front," he replied.

Concerning the time of forwarding the Iranian military contributions to Lebanon, Fat'hali said that the consignment of the Iranian arms and munitions are ready for being forwarded to Lebanon and only waiting for the provision of the required legal procedures.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team