Hezbollah Chief Meets Top Iranian Official

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has met with Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the Lebanese movement said Tuesday.



In a statement, Hezbollah said the two sides had discussed political and security developments in the Middle East region.



Earlier Tuesday, Shamkhani held talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam in Beirut.



Following the talks, the Iranian official said Iran had offered military aid to the Lebanese army to help the latter combat "extremism and terror" on the border with Syria.



"Given Lebanon's role in confronting extremist terrorism in border areas [with Syria], Iran has decided to offer military equipment to the Lebanese army as a token of friendship and appreciation," he said.



The Iranian equipment, he said, would allow the Lebanese army to "fight terror" efficiently on the border with Syria.



The aid will be formally offered at an upcoming visit to Iran by Lebanese Defense Minister Samir Mouqbel, Shamkhani said, adding that Beirut had "welcomed" the Iranian largesse.



Lebanon has been drawn further into the Syrian quagmire since militants from the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) – two of the main militant groups fighting the Syrian regime – clashed with the Lebanese army last month in the border town of Arsal.



Along with killing 17 Lebanese troops, the two groups managed to kidnap several Lebanese soldiers, later conditioning their release on the freeing of Islamist prisoners held in Lebanese jails and the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from Syria.



Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah group has fought alongside the Syrian regime since 2011.



Tehran is also a main ally of Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime.



In January, Saudi Arabia, a longstanding foe of Iran, offered $3 billion to arm the Lebanese military with French weapons with a view to "strengthening the army's capacities."



Last month, a former Lebanese prime minister announced that Riyadh had pledged an additional $1 billion to support the Lebanese army's "war on terror."



By Hamza Takeen



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Beyrut