Nasrallah Holds Talks with Moqbel on 'Political, Security Developments'

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah held talks Tuesday with Defense Minister Samir Moqbel.

Nasrallah met Moqbel in the presence of Wafiq Safa, head of the party's Liaison and Coordination Unit, according to a Hizbullah statement.

The statement said the two men discussed “the political and security developments in Lebanon and the region.”

Moqbel visited Iran in October to discuss a military grant that Tehran had offered to Lebanon.

The minister said at the time that Iran “agreed to provide a large number of the Lebanese army's demands” while acknowledging that “this grant is an unconditional grant.”

But Moqbel stressed that the proposed donation needs the approval of the council of ministers before the “necessary measures” can be taken.

Iran had vowed to supply the Lebanese army with much-needed equipment following its deadly clashes with fighters from the Islamic State group and al-Qaida affiliate, al-Nusra Front, on the Syrian border in August.

Iran's offer of military support -- made when Iran's Supreme National Security Council chief visited Beirut in September -- followed aid packages for the Lebanese army from Tehran's regional rival Riyadh as well as from Washington.

Some Lebanese factions, mainly al-Mustaqbal movement and the March 14 alliance, have refused the Iranian grant. Centrist Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat has also expressed reservations on it.

Also Tuesday, Nasrallah made a rare trip to visit to a top Shiite cleric visiting Lebanon for medical checkups.

The Hizbullah media office said that Nasrallah visited Grand Ayatollah Bashir al-Najafi and discussed "Muslim affairs with him." It did not elaborate or say where the meeting took place.

Al-Najafi arrived in Beirut last week where he was supposed to undergo medical tests.

Al-Najafi, a Pakistani, is one of the most influential Shiite clerics worldwide and has been based in the Iraqi Shiite holy city of Najaf for decades. He is one of four top Shiite clerics based in Najaf.

Y.R.

Comments 3
Thumb nickjames 18 November 2014, 22:03

Lol it's so funny how Iran is banned from supplying/selling weapons to other countries, yet they're still talking about this stupid grant.

Missing peace 18 November 2014, 22:57

sure hezbollah tells us that they needed to go in syria to defend holy shrines and bashar's regime from the islamists but when the islamists were giving a rough time to the lebanese state and LAF they never lifted a finger to help the lebanese state... but syria? they rushed at their help!

and they pretend to be "patriots" LOL

Missing peace 19 November 2014, 17:44

he isn't preventing anything, he is just pouring oil on the fire, later you will thank him for that....