Report: Providing Lebanon with Weapons from Iran Violates U.N. Arms Embargo
A Western diplomat at the United Nations in New York stated that reports circulating in Lebanon recently on the possibility of extending the Lebanese army with weapons from Iran, are “inconsistent” with the decisions of the Security Council, the pan-Arab al-Hayat daily reported Tuesday.
The diplomat stressed that Iran cannot extend arms to any side unless the U.N. Security Council decides otherwise, added the daily.
“The Security Council's resolutions are very clear in terms of preventing Iran from sending weapons to states or non-state actors, and this applies to all countries without exception, unless the Security Council decided otherwise,” said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Iranian officials who visited Beirut recently have expressed Tehran's willingness to provide the Lebanese army with weapons, the most recent was Chairman of Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi.
“Iran's permanent and firm stance is to stand by the brotherly Lebanese Republic of Lebanon, government and people. We therefore reiterate our firm will in the field of arming the Lebanese army,” said Boroujerdi while in Beirut last week.
Iran is still subject to am arms embargo despite the fact that some sanctions were lifted a year ago under a deal Iran made with the United States, the European Union, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France to limit its nuclear program.
Source: Naharnet
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