AFP: Iran is prepared to supply anti-aircraft weaponry to the Lebanese armed forces, its ambassador to Beirut was quoted as saying by the state-run IRNA agency on Sunday. TEHRAN, Nov 5, 2006 (AFP) – Iran is prepared to supply anti-aircraft weaponry to the Lebanese armed forces, its ambassador to Beirut was quoted as saying by the state-run IRNA agency on Sunday.
“Iran is ready to supply modern anti-aircraft arms to Lebanon,” said Iranian ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani after talks with Lebanon’s army chief Michel Sleiman in Beirut late on Saturday.
The United States accuses Iran of supplying arms and financial support to its Hezbollah allies but Tehran vehemently denies the allegations.
Hezbollah fought a month-long war against Israel earlier this year that was marked by deadly Israeli airstrikes on targets in Lebanon but the Lebanese army largely stood on the sidelines.
The army has since said it was in market for anti-aircraft and anti-tank weaponry.
According to the IRNA dispatch from Beirut, Sheibani also called on “Lebanese political groups to maintain their unity to foil plots” of Iran’s arch-enemies Israel and the United States.
His comments came as Lebanese politicians were to return to roundtable talks on Monday to discuss a possible change of government amid threats to resort to the streets by both Hezbollah and the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority.
Meanwhile, Iran rejected claims by the United States that there was mounting evidence Iran, Syria and Hezbollah were preparing plans to topple the government of Lebanon.
“These are repetitive allegations and without foundation. Iran supports the independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon,” said foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini.
