‘Iran ready to aid Lebanese army if requested’

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani made the remarks in a Sunday interview with the Lebanese Al-Ahed News Agency.

“Iran has announced it is ready to give gratuitous aid to the Lebanese army, and will do so as soon as the Lebanese side makes an appeal for it,” said Shamkhani, noting that the issue had been seriously reviewed with the Lebanese Defense Minister during his visit to Tehran.

Shamkhani stressed that Iran deemed aiding the Lebanese army its ‘duty’ and a ‘necessity’, adding that a powerful and fully-equipped military force in Lebanon could take on the terrorists that were currently targeting the country.

“Our main reason for extending help to the Lebanese army is the positive relations and friendship between Tehran and Beirut,” said Shamkhani, stressing that aiding the Lebanese people against terrorist attacks in some of Lebanon’s border regions was a ‘rightful’ step in ‘stabilizing security’ in that country.

He criticized the ineffectiveness of the Western coalition against ISIL, adding that the nations when provided with some logistical assistance would be perfectly capable of combating terrorism on their own, and had no need for external intervention by those who pursued their own personal goals.

“ISIL was the result of wrong policies in supporting and equipping terrorist groups,” said Shamkhani, maintaining that the countries involved in aiding ISIL must be held accountable for their acts.

Shamkhani located the root of regional terrorism in the state terrorism practiced by Israel, adding “treating ISIL and al-Nusra wounded militants in Zionist regime's hospitals is a solid proof of Israel’s connection to terrorism and a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.”

While asserting that experts on strategic issues had now come to this conclusion that with the fall of Syria to ISIL domination, Lebanon and Jordan would be next to face the danger of terrorist occupation, Shamkhani stressed on Iran’s continuous aid and consultations in Iraq, adding that the ‘ultimate victory’ would be realized for Iraqi people under ‘solidarity’ and ‘national integration’.

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