IRGC Says Ready to Assist Lebanon after Beirut Blast
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – In a message to Hezbollah Secretary General Seyed Hassan Nasrallah, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps expressed his forces’ readiness to assist Lebanon following a huge explosion in Beirut that has killed more than 100 people.
In his message on Wednesday, Major General Hossein Salami offered his condolences to Nasrallah and the Lebanese government and nation over the large number of deaths and injuries in the Tuesday’s blast at Beirut’s port.
The Iranian top commander also assured the government and nation of Lebanon that the IRGC is ready to provide any help to the citizens who have been injured or have suffered losses in the tragic incident.
In remarks at a Wednesday session of the cabinet of ministers, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani assigned Iran’s Red Crescent Society to immediately send Lebanon humanitarian aid, including medical and health supplies.
Lebanon’s president has declared a two-week state of emergency following the massive explosion in Beirut that has killed at least 100 people and injured 4,000 others.
The explosion on Tuesday sent shockwaves across the city, causing widespread damage even on the outskirts of the capital.
Officials said they expected the death toll to rise further as emergency workers dug through rubble to rescue people and remove the dead.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. Officials linked the blast to hundreds of tons of confiscated ammonium nitrate that were being stored in a warehouse at the port for six years.
The explosion has also destroyed Lebanon’s silos that contain the national grain reserve. Lebanon imports up to 80 percent of its food needs and is particularly reliant on imported soft wheat to make Arabic flatbread. About 85 per cent of the country's cereals were reportedly stored in the facility.
