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.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri will chair a cabinet meeting on Wednesday to continue discussions on the oil and gas excavation file, media reports said Monday.

On Sunday, copies of the cabinet agenda were distributed to the ministers who will convene this time at the Grand Serial instead of at the Presidential Palace.

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah mourned on Monday former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a “major supporter” of the resistance during difficult times.

“Yesterday (Sunday) we lost one of the great men in this nation. For us, as the Islamic resistance in Lebanon and for 34 years, he was the protector, supporters and a compassionate father who has always defended us in all difficult circumstances,” said Nasrallah.

In the last 48 hours, security measures have been upped in several areas around the country, mainly in Beirut's southern suburbs of Dahiyeh, amid information that some terror acts have been planned to shake the country's safety, al-Joumhouria daily reported Monday.

Speaker Nabih Berri plans to call the parliament to session before the month's end, to put and approve a final draft for the upcoming parliamentary elections, An Nahar daily reported Monday.

The step comes after President Michel Aoun signed a decree on Saturday to open an extraordinary parliamentary session aimed at pushing the rival political parties into agreeing on a new law before May 2017-- the scheduled date for holding the polls.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea said the upcoming visit of President Michel Aoun to Saudi Arabia will carry important issues particularly reactivating the military aide program for the Lebanese Army, and considered Aoun's travel to Iran as a “normal” procedure.

“Aoun's Trip to Tehran is a normal matter, and if Iran wants to provide aide to the Lebanese State, why not?” said Geagea in an interview to the Kuwaiti al-Qabas daily on Saturday, rejecting the notion about the return of Bashar Assad's influence on Lebanon or Syria.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq said on Saturday, the latest accomplishments of the security forces in uncovering terror cells that had plans to carry attacks during the holiday season, called for utmost vigilance which in turn led to uncovering the terror-cell in Tripoli and other groups.

The Minister hailed, in an interview to VDL (93.3), “the serious endeavors and big work of the security forces and army troops in confronting terror attacks,” giving the larger “credit to the Intelligence Directorate.”

Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic Sheikh Abdul Latif Deryan has high expectations on the planned visit of President Michel Aoun to Saudi Arabia, and said it improves ties between the two countries, the state-run National News Agency reported Saturday.

A Lebanese man, who sustained gunfire wounds during a personal dispute that erupted in Tripoli on Friday, has succumbed to his wounds, the National News Agency reported on Saturday.

A personal dispute erupted between the victim, Omar Kanju, and the assailant who was identified with his initials as A.R., in the northern neighborhood of Bab el-Tabbaneh in Tripoli, NNA said.

A Lebanese shepherd, Abdullah Rahmeh, who was abducted on Friday by the Israeli army was released at dawn on Saturday, the National News Agency reported.

The Israeli army handed Rahmeh to the UNIFIL troops at the Ras al-Naqoura border area. UNIFIL in turn handed him to the Lebanese Army Intelligence units, added NNA.