TEHRAN: Iran was prepared to supply anti-aircraft weaponry to the Lebanese armed forces, its ambassador to Beirut was quoted as saying by Tehran’s state-run IRNA news agency on Sunday.

“Iran is ready to supply modern anti-aircraft arms to Lebanon,” said the Iranian diplomat, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, after talks with Lebanon’s army chief, Michel Sleiman, in Beirut late on Saturday.

The United States accuses Iran of providing arms and financial support to its Hezbollah allies, charges that Tehran vehemently denies. Hezbollah fought a month-long war against Israel earlier this year that was marked by deadly Israeli air strikes against Lebanese targets, while the Lebanon Army largely stood on the sidelines.

According to the IRNA dispatch from Beirut, Sheibani also called on “Lebanese political groups to maintain their unity to foil plots” of Israel and the US.

His comments came as Lebanese politicians were scheduled to return to talks on Monday, to discuss a possible change of government amid threats to resort to the streets by both Hezbollah and the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority.

Meanwhile, Iran rejected American claims of mounting evidence that Iran, Syria and Hezbollah were preparing plans to topple the Lebanese government.

“These are repetitive allegations and without foundation. Iran supports the independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon,” said foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini. AFP