Anti-Iran Camp Launches Media Blitzkrieg to Bilk Iran-Lebanon Ties

The President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is making two-day visit to Lebanon starting tomorrow, the first since he took office in 2005. His trip has already run into the disinformation campaign by the anti-Iran bloc like that of during his second term of presidential elections. The Iranian chief executive is expected to meet with the Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and also leaders of the Hezbollah resistance movement.

The US has issued terror advisories to its citizens travelling to Lebanon, and warned its citizens in Lebanon to avoid gatherings even seemingly peaceful ones as well as to keep a close eye on events during the Iranian president’s visit. Similarly, Israel through diplomatic channels is understood to have dissuaded Lebanon to retract from the decision of receiving the Iranian democratic head a week ago.

Currently Iran is engaged in inking trade pacts with every country which is willing to do business with them especially to counter the ill effects of international sanctions imposed on them for the past four months. On account of that Iran through ensuring trade deals with Lebanon is desirous to strengthen economic ties with other Arab nations as well. A high profile Iranian trade delegation’s visit to Lebanon ahead of Ahmadinejad’s trip clearly vouch for it.

Ghazanfar Roknabadi, the Iranian envoy to Beirut, had said earlier “President Ahmadinejad is visiting Lebanon at the invitation of Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and the visit has political and economic dimensions; therefore, a political and economic delegation will accompany him.” Likewise, former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss said in an interview with Press TV on Monday “Iran is very mindful of good relations, strong relations with Arabs because this will give Iran space in the international arena with the Arabs on their side.”

Even in deeper sense, the Iranian chief executive’s trip to Lebanon has to be construed as more of an interest in increasing trade with the Arab nations than of any political move. It should be recalled, of late, Iran has boosted trade ties with several Latin American and African countries to offset lost trade with the EU and the North American regions.

By Jose Roy