The special envoy of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Morteza Sarmadi, announced Wednesday from Beirut that Tehran's proposed military grant to Lebanon is still on the table, hoping the Lebanese will manage to find an “appropriate solution” to the presidential crisis.
“Now that the nuclear settlement has been achieved, if the Lebanese side believes that it can now receive the Iranian military grant to the valiant Lebanese army, we are fully ready to offer this donation on a silver platter,” said Sarmadi, in response to a reporter's question.
The Iranian official, who arrived in Lebanon earlier in the day, was speaking after talks with Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil in Ashrafieh.
Discussions over the controversial Iranian grant to the Lebanese army were reportedly “frozen” in late 2014 to avoid any rift between cabinet members.
The head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, who made a one-day visit to Beirut in 2014, said that Tehran will provide military assistance to Lebanon.
Iran's offer of support followed aid packages for the Lebanese army from both its regional rival Saudi Arabia and the United States.