Mottaki: Iran prepared to respond to Lebanese or Syrian requests

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, has stressed Iran’s full backing and support for both the Lebanese and Syrian governments in the face of Israeli threats. 

In a joint press conference held on Saturday with and his Lebanese counterpart, Ali al-Shami, who is currently visiting Tehran, Mottaki said that, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to respond to any request from the fraternal Lebanese and Syrian nations and their governments,” stressing that Tehran would give backing to Beirut and Damascus while they faced threats from Tel Aviv. Mottaki described Israel as a country which “currently suffers from a political stalemate that doesn’t bode well for its future but rather its defeat and the collapse of its structures.”

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The Foreign Minister also disclosed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s intention to pay an official visit to the Lebanese capital, Beirut, in mid September after the holy month of Ramadan.