Ghosn Meets Ahmadinejad, Iran Says Strengthening Lebanese Army Part of Its Strategic Policy
Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn stressed Sunday that “Lebanon’s people, army and resistance are an invincible fortress in the face of Israel,” noting that the Lebanese "will never forget that Iran stood by them in great difficulties," during talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran.
Ghosn also said that Israel would fear Iran's reaction, should it consider moving in a hostile way against any regional country.
For his part, Ahmadinejad told the minister that Lebanon and Iran should work toward unity to confront the west and Israel, Iran's official news agency reported.
The Iranian leader asked Ghosn to "resist the plots" of "domination-seeking powers," IRNA said.
"Friendships and brotherhood should be improved," Ahmadinejad said. He warned that Israel would carry "a massacre against all nations of the region" if it could. "Therefore, we should support and stand by each other more than before," he added.
Earlier on Sunday, Ghosn met with Iran's Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi.
"Strengthening the Lebanese army is among the strategic policies of Iran," the Iranian minister said. "Lebanon should have a strong army to defend its interest in the region."
Lebanon's security was "an important part of stability in the region," Vahidi added, according to an online report by Iran's state broadcaster IRIB.
In return Ghosn said, "Right now there is a complete coordination between the army and the resistance."
"Iran and Lebanon have always backed one another and we hope that bilateral interaction increases," Ghosn added.
He warned Israel against "any foolishness in attacking Lebanon," saying if it did so, it would face "a strong and unified army and resistance (Hizbullah), and suffer another defeat," referring to Israel’s 2006 war with Hizbullah.
On Saturday Vahidi said that an Israeli attack on Iran would lead to the collapse of the Jewish state.
Iran has also recently hosted visits by leaders from the Palestinian Islamist movement that rules the Gaza Strip, Hamas.
Iran has been alarmed by Hamas' outreach to Sunni Arab states in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings, which have brought Islamists to political prominence and pushed Hamas leaders to relocate from their longtime headquarters in Syria.
Israel and Iran consider each other arch-enemies, and tensions have risen dramatically as Tehran pushes ahead with uranium enrichment and other aspects of its nuclear program. Israel and the West say Iran wants to develop weapons, while Tehran insists the program is for peaceful purposes.
Tehran has blamed the recent assassinations of its nuclear scientists on Israel. It also faces the possibility of Israeli airstrikes against its nuclear facilities. Israel says the military option must remain on the table.
Israelis say that Iran may retaliate against such a strike through a “proxy,” by pushing Hizbullah to use its arsenal of rockets against the Jewish state.
Source: Naharnet
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