Iran's supreme leader urges Muslims to 'defend' HezbollahIran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has renewed calls on Muslims to rally to the defence of the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah in its war against Israel, state television reported. "Today it is the entire Muslim community's duty to defend Hezbollah," Khamenei told a meeting Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the birth of the Shiites' first Imam, Ali. Iran helped to create and arm Hezbollah in 1982 in response to Israel's invasion of Lebanon, and Tehran stands accused by the United States and Israel of fomenting chaos in the region by channelling weapons to the guerrillas. Iran denies the allegation, saying it provides only moral support to the movement. Khamenei's comments came as Arab ministers were due to plead Lebanon's case in New York before the UN Security Council, which is debating a draft French-US resolution calling on Israel and Hezbollah to stop the fighting which has raged for the past month. The all-powerful Iranian leader lashed out at the United Nations for what he called its "incompetence", and also attacked some Arab countries for "looking on in silence". "Some Arabic states that have kept quiet should know that the United States will never consider their interests," Khamenei said. More than 1,000 Lebanese civilians have been killed in the Israeli offensive unleashed after the capture of two of its soldiers by Hezbollah in a cross-border raid from Lebanon on July 12. Khamenei also accused the US and Britain on Tuesday of encouraging the "Zionists' crimes" and "seeking to eradicate Islam in this region". Last modified August 8, 2006 |