Nasrallah's 'IDF rifle' gift to Ahmedinajad dates to '70s

Hizbullah leader claimed present to Iranian president was taken from soldier in 2006 war; IDF says rifle went out of active service 30 years ago.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Ahmadinejad Nasrallah (photo credit: Associated Press)
Ahmadinejad Nasrallah
(photo credit: Associated Press)
The army announced on Sunday that the firearm Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah proudly presented Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with last week went out of service in 1974. Nasrallah himself told Ahmadinejad during the latter's visit to Lebanon that the gun was used by an IDF soldier during the 2006 Lebanon War
A photograph released by Hizbullah on Thursday showed a beaming Ahmadinejad receiving the rifle and an accompanying case from Nasrallah, a departing gift given to the Iranian president at the end of his two-day visit.
RELATED:Ahmadinejad meets Nasrallah before leaving LebanonIranian president: Lebanon is a university for Jihad"This is almost certainly an FN Fal 7.62 rifle, which has not been used by the IDF since 1974," an IDF spokeswoman said. "We can therefore conclude that it was not taken from the Second Lebanon War," the spokeswoman added.
The rifle came with a row of ammunition bullets in a large dark red case, which was affixed with a Hizbullah emblem.
During his visit, Ahmadinejad met with Nasrallah on several occasions, and offered praise for the Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist organization while threatening that Israel would soon disappear.
On Sunday, Ahmadinejad continued his rhetoric from Iran, saying that "the Zionist regime is going to hell," according to the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA).
Addressing crowds during a government-organized rally in Ardebil, in northwest Iran, Ahmadinejad said, "You see how much they put Lebanese people under pressure over invitation of an Iranian? What happened following the pressures? What came in Lebanon will change all equations in the Middle East and in the world."