Iran awaits Lebanese "desire" to accept its military aid-FM
BEIRUT - Iran is waiting for Lebanon to show a desire to accept its military assistance, Iran's foreign minister said on Sunday, reiterating an offer of support to the U.S.-backed Lebanese military.
Jawad Zarif, whose government backs the powerful Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, was speaking at Beirut airport at the start of his first visit to Lebanon since its new government was formed late last month.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said last week he was ready to secure air defence systems for the Lebanese army from Iran to confront Israeli warplanes and to secure "everything it wants to be the strongest army in the region".
Asked if Iran was ready to offer military aid, Zarif said: "We always have this type of readiness and we announced on other occasions that this tendency exists in Iran but we are waiting for this desire to exist on the Lebanese side."
