The Lebanese Army has been stepping up efforts to prevent Muslim fighters from Syria entering Lebanese border towns. Last month, the northern town of Arsal was the scene of the deadliest spillover of fighting in the three-year-old civil war in Syria.
The rise of hardline militants in Syria such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group, presents a shared foe for Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States.
“The Islamic Republic decided to give a military grant to the Lebanese Army,” Supreme National Security Council Director Ali Shamkhani told reporters in Beirut.
He did not say what the grant would include. A diplomatic source said the Iranian Defense Minister would soon ask his Lebanese counterpart for a list of weapons needed by the Army.
During his visit, Shamkhani meet Lebanese officials, including the Prime Minister Tamman Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri.
Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Samir Moqbel said Wednesday that he will visit Tehran in the coming two weeks.
“I will visit Tehran within the next ten days to oversee preparations for the delivery of military equipment pledged to the Army,” said Moqbel.
The Defense Minister will also “study the effectiveness” of the promised aid during his visit, he said.
Al Defaiya learned that this visit could take place on 14-15 October 2014.
Source: Reuters; The Daily Star
