TEHRAN Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei warned Thursday against Zionists' plots and said that Israel remains a threat to the Palestinians despite its withdrawal from South Lebanon,' IRNA reported.
The Leader received visiting Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, stressed the need to "maintain the spirit of resistance and unity" to stand up to the Zionist entity.
"With the continuing occupation of Palestine, the Israeli threat is still present," he said, adding that "it is everyone's duty to try to liberate Palestine." The Hizbollah movement, which spearheaded a guerilla war in Southern Lebanon that helped end Israel's 22-year occupation of the region in May.
The Amal militia, headed by Berri and with several deputies in the Lebanese Parliament, also fought against the Israeli presence.
During the meeting of Leader with Berri, Majlis Speaker Mahdi Karrubi was also present.
President Mohammad Khatami, who also met with Berri on Thursday, insisted that the holy city of Bait-ul-Moqaddas "belongs to the Palestinians and it is their right to decide its fate." During his talks with Berri he said the countries of the region would have to be especially vigilant against "future plots" after the failure of the talks.
The president said Washington lacked the "credibility" to mediate between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Berri arrived here Wednesday for four days of talks with Iranian officials at the head of a parliamentary delegation.
Khatami said that all should try to reconstruct Southern Lebanon as it deserves, and safeguard the great victory against the Zionists through unity and solidarity among people and various tribes.
Khatami said what happened in Southern Lebanon was an important event in the contemporary era because the people of Lebanon had successfully ousted an occupying enemy without giving it any concessions.
True, the victory belongs to all the Lebanese people, the world of Islam and the Arab world, but the Islamic resistance and the brave children of Amal Movement did have an important and grave role in the victory, noted Khatami.
Khatami thanked Lebanese government for taking good and principled stances in support for the resistance movement.
Touching on failure of the Camp David II talks, Khatami said one should be alert to the future conditions of the region and to the plots being hatched against victory of the Lebanese nation.
He said the plan to shift the U.S. Embassy to Bait-ul- Moqaddas (Qods) is a sign that the U.S. sympathizes with Israel for the latter's defeat in the Camp David II talks.
Due to this reason the U.S. has no competency to play a mediation role between Palestinians and Muslims on the one hand and Israel on the other hand, added the president.
He said Bait-ul-Moqaddas belongs to all Palestinian people and the right to decide the fate of Palestine rests with Palestinians, including Muslims, Christians and Jews, he added.
The president said the world of Islam and Christianity and even the freedom seeking Jews who disclaim Zionism should join hands to restore the usurped historical rights.
Berri said that national unity, cohesion among all the Lebanese people, including Muslims and Christians, as well as consensus between the resistance movement and Lebanese government had served as basis for the great victory against the Zionist regime.
He praised Iran for its fundamental'' role in the resistance against the Zionist regime and in the attainment of the great victory and thanked Iran's Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, government and nation for their spiritual support to the people and government of Lebanon.
Berri said unity and strategic cooperation among Iran, Syria and Lebanon served as important factor in victory against the Zionist regime.
He said Camp David-II talks show that the enemies of Lebanon hate to see more victories by the Lebanese nation, and were trying to prevent the progress of the people of Lebanon to their further goals.
He commented that the Lebanese would certainly maintain their integrity as a nation and would stick fast to the ideals that brought them their recent victory.
In a separate meeting with the Head of Iran's Expediency Council, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, expressed pleasure over the victory of the Lebanese Resistance Movement over the usurper Zionists in Southern Lebanon while saying that this great triumph was the Almighty God's promise to Muslims.
Rafsanjani praised the courageous action of the Lebanese militants in driving the Zionists out of their territory and added that the triumph was unprecedented in the long history of the region.
Rafsanjani also expressed Iran's preparedness to cooperate with the Lebanese government to reconstruct the ruined settlements and infrastructures during the two-decade war with the Zionists.
Thanking Iran for the spiritual assistance it gave to Lebanese, Nabih Berri pointed out that Lebanon is in want of the Iranian assistance to rebuild its infrastructures.