IRAN: KHAMENEI PRAISES HEZBOLLAH, WARNS FOREIGN TROOPS IN LEBANON

Tehran, 14 Oct. (AKI) - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei led Friday prayers in Tehran with a sermon almost entirely dedicated to Shiite militia Hezbollah and its 34-day war with Israel in Lebanon."One of the projects of the Americans, Zionists and their allies is to come to Lebanon under the United Nations, officially to defend the Lebanese from the attacks of foreign forces and then change the cards on the table and fight our Hezbollah brothers," said Khamenei.

Iran's supreme leader was indirectly referring to UN Resolution 1701 which provides for the existing UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be given more robust rules of engagement and to be expanded to include up to 15,000 peacekeepers. The force's role is to support the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy across the south of the country and guarantee a fragile ceasefire which started on 14 August following the 34-day war between Lebanon-based militia Hezbollah and Israel.

Khamenei has said that Hezbollah, which is widely believed to be armed by Iran and Syria, won the war with Israel in a "victory of Islam over arrogance and colonialism."

"The war isn't finished and the loosers will certainly not remain idle," Khamenei said during his sermon. "These evil forces are already hard at work to remedy their defeat and Islamic nations need to remain vigil and ready to react with determination against any other potential attack."