BEIRUT: Defense Minister Samir Moqbel will head to Tehran Saturday to discuss the pledged military aid to the Lebanese Army, his office said Friday.
The minister’s trip will last two or three days, during which he will meet Iranian officials to examine the status of the aid, an official from his office told The Daily Star.
A statement released by Iranian Embassy earlier this week said the aid would only include weapons and ammunition, but could open the doors to new, more sophisticated military support in the future.
Although the Lebanese government had announced that it welcomed any unconditional support to the Army, the Iranian aid has been the subject of a local and international dispute.
Opponents of the grant have said that accepting the aid would violate Security Council Resolution 1747, which forbids Iran from selling or exporting weapons.
March 14 officials called for a rejection of the aid because of Iran’s involvement in supporting Hezbollah. There have also been unofficial reports saying the United States is pressuring Lebanon not to take the donation.
March 8 figures, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah officials have announced their support of accepting the aid. Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, who is a member of MP Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement, also welcomed the donation, telling the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon earlier this week that he would suggest the item for Cabinet approval soon.
Advertisement
No comments:
Post a Comment