Iran ready to supply Lebanon with arms, Hezbollah’s al Manner reports

Hezbollah’s mouthpiece al Manar reported on Friday that ” Shortly after the Saudi Arabia halted what it called “grant” for the Lebanese army and security forces, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hussein Jaberi Ansari, said that the Islamic Republic of Iran “is ready to provide Lebanon with the military support in case the latter asks for it.”

This is not the first time Iran offers to supply the Lebanese army with arms Iranian position is not new, but Lebanon did not show much interest the last time around when it found out the magnitude of the Iranian offer .

Speaker of the Iranian Shura Council Ali Larijani who visited Lebanon in December 2014 and met with Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah renewed his country’s offer to supply the Lebanese Army with weapons and equipment, unconditionally and free of charge, as part of Iran’s support for Lebanon in combating terrorism, Lebanon Defense Ministry said in a statement on December 23.

Lebanon rejected the controversial Iranian military offer which was originally made in September of that year
Sources of Alwatan newspaper estimated in December that Iran’s proposed grant to the Lebanese army is valued at $7 million. The sources claimed that Iran’s allies in Lebanon have been trying to exaggerate the magnitude of the proposed grant without providing any details about it.

The sources of the daily described Iran’s grant as “shameful ” when compared to the Saudi Arabian grant.

The Saudi grant which was recently suspended was worth 4 billion US dollars

Hezbollah blamed the Future Movement and March 14 for turning down the Iranian offer .

“The Iranian “grant” stopped at the gates of the Lebanese cabinet due to the opposition of Future Movement and 14 March bloc.” Al Manar reported on Friday.

” Is there any reason preventing Lebanon from taking the initiative to submit demands to Iran, or to accept the absolute, permanent and unconditional Iranian support?” Al Manar asked on Friday.

In the article Al Manar slams Saudi Arabia and described its grant as fake.