"The Islamic Republic of Iran has specified the types of equipment it can present to the Lebanese army in a letter to the foreign ministry and the foreign ministry has submitted the letter to Moqbel," a report by al-Akhbar said on Saturday.

"Iran is ready to deliver a number of TOW (anti-tank) missiles and its special rockets, night goggles, 120-mm mortar rounds, and munitions, 60-mm artillery and its shells, munitions of T55 and T62 tanks, munitions of 155-mm cannon and DShK (Dushka) and its munitions," the letter said.

The newspaper also reported that the US has sent official and unofficial messages to Lebanon and threatened Beirut not to accept the military gift, or Washington would stop its aids to the Lebanese army.

Last week, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani announced that Iran plans to gift a military tool or weapon to the Lebanese army in the near future.

Celebrating 50 years

The National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, 2759 N. Lipkey Road, North Jackson, is celebrating its 50th anniversary and the elevation of the shrine as a minor basilica by Pope Francis. The shrine becomes just the second Maronite Catholic basilica in the world, the other being the original shrine in Lebanon. The observance began Aug. 15, recalling that date in 1964 when ground was broken for the shrine. The celebration will conclude Aug. 15, 2015, on the golden anniversary of the dedication. Aug. 15 is significant because that is the observance of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. The shrine is a Maronite Catholic Church under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon in St. Louis, Mo.

Celebration details: A Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 5 p.m. today followed by a banquet, by reservation, to be attended by some 400 people. The shrine will be consecrated by the Most Rev. A. Elias Zaidan, Bishop of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. Also attending will be Bishop Gregory Mansour, Eparchy of St. Maron, Brooklyn; and Bishop Robert Shaheen, bishop emeritus. Assisting chorbishops, monsignori, priests, deacons and subdeacons also will attend.

In the beginning: In June 1960, Maronite priests of America met in Washington and proposed a Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon. When the Rev. Peter Eid was returning to the Mahoning Valley, he suggested that the Maronites in the Youngstown and surrounding areas would buy land and build a shrine. He saw a sign for 75 acres for sale on Lipkey Road, but the owner did not want to sell to a Catholic. Father Eid enlisted fellow priests to pray a novena for the intention of the land, which the owner ended up selling to him. The shrine gave 10 acres and existing farmhouse to the Antonine Sisters, who established an adult day care.

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