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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran hails unity against Israel |
| 2010-08-12 |
| Iran welcomes reconciliatory talks between Beirut and Damascus, saying it backs promotion of solidarity among Muslim and Arab nations against the Israeli violations. In a televised interview with Iran's state TV on Tuesday, senior foreign policy advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ali Akbar Velayati, hailed the recent meetings between Syrian and Lebanese officials with the participation of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, terming the move unprecedented in recent years. King Abdullah paid a historic visit to Lebanon late July, the first Saudi monarch to visit the country since 1957. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accompanied the Saudi king on the visit. Al-Assad's visit to Lebanon was his first trip to the country since the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri. Prior to his trip to Lebanon, King Abdullah had met with al-Assad in the Syrian capital, Damascus. The Saudi king's trip to Syria and Lebanon is said to be part of his attempt to patch up the differences or tension between the two Muslims states after the United Nations published a report of its findings about Hariri's assassination. Damascus-Beirut ties were severed following the assassination in a car bomb explosion in 2005 in Beirut. Western-backed factions in Lebanon blamed the killing on Syria and Damascus was forced to withdraw its troops from the country after a 29-year presence. Syria has vehemently denied involvement in the killing. "The Untied States and the Zionist regime may conduct some illogical actions in the Middle East, but they will receive a much stronger response than what they got in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan," Velayati said. Touching on Israel's defeat in its 33-day war on Lebanon in 2006, Velayati envisioned more defeats for Israel, saying "the Zionists' new military offensive against Lebanon will bring about a much heavier defeat for the regime." Israel staged a military attack against Lebanon in the summer of 2006, which claimed the lives of about 1,200 Lebanese, most of them civilians. Earlier this week, Velayati made a trip to Lebanon to meet with the country's President Michel Sleiman and Hezbollah's Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. On Saturday, the senior Iranian politician also made a three-day visit to Syria and met with al-Assad in Damascus on Sunday. |
| Posted by:Fred |