Iran backs Syria in face of mounting U.S. pressure

Iran's Foreign Minister voiced strong support for Syria in its standoff with the West over a UN investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, and called for confronting the U.S.’s “dubious moves” in the Middle East, Reuters news agency reported.

"We declare our support for uncovering the truth vis-a-vis the assassination of Mr. Rafik al-Hariri and I have seen that the officials in Syria support this issue in a good way," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said after talks with President Bashar al Assad in Damascus.

"We pin our hope that the investigation team continues its work on a pure legal foundation and does not work on politicizing the investigation,” he added.

The chief of the UN team, German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis, said in his interim report, released last month, that Syria didn’t fully co-operate with his inquiry that implicated some Syrian and Lebanese officials in the Feb. 14 assassination.

The Bush administration believes that the UN report gives it powerful leverage in intensifying pressure on Damascus.

The Syrian government has repeatedly denied involvement in Hariri’s killing, and has set up its own investigation into the murder.

Last week Assad said in a defiant speech that Syria would co-operate with the UN team but would stop co-operation if it “would be harmed”.

Pressure

The United States has been stepping up pressure on Syria and Iran, claiming that they allow fighters to cross into Iraq and back anti-Israeli groups.

Damascus and Tehran deny the U.S. charges and argue that that they are being attacked by Western states because of their uncompromising position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israel’s occupation of Arab land.

Syria has until Dec. 15 to comply with a UNSC resolution, backed by the U.S., France and the UK, demanding it to arrest suspects identified by the UN investigative team.

The resolution threatens further action if Syria doesn’t cooperate fully.

Iran is also facing mounting U.S. pressure over its nuclear program.

Washington claims that Tehran is working on a secret atomic weapons program and wants to refer Iran’s nuclear file to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

The Islamic republic denies the U.S. claims and insists that its nuclear plans are strictly for the peaceful generation of electricity.

“Dubious moves”

Mottaki, who delivered a message to Assad from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said his talks tackled "the dubious moves that America is undertaking in the region. America seeks...domination goals in the region."

Mottaki didn’t elaborate on the nature of the U.S. moves, but said they sought to serve the interests of Israel.

Mottaki also called for "vigilance and cooperation among regional countries” which could “stop enemies from achieving their evil objectives," the official Iranian news agency (IRNA) reported.

On Iraq, Mottaki said he had agreed with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara that "the political process must continue and the Iraqi people be allowed to decide their own destiny".

"We discussed the various options facing Iraq's neighbours and we're going to study them in the most serious way and support everything that's in the interests of the Iraqi people," he said.

Both Syria and Iran accuse Washington of trying to force regional backing for its policies that aim at strengthening Israeli interests at the expense of Arabs and Muslims.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that Syria and Iran are on his “axis of evil” and called for intensified international efforts to contain the two regimes, AFP reported.

Sharon, who was speaking at a meeting also attended by visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said the axis was now led by Iran and Syria "which are ruled by irresponsible leaders, who take extreme stands which threaten the stability of the area".

Khamenei backs Iran’s President

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed his full support for the country’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, BBC reported.

Khamenei said recent criticism of Ahmadinejad over his domestic and foreign policies was unjust. He also said that the president must be given more time to accomplish his tasks.

“The government must be supported,” Khamenei said in an unprecedented declaration given that Ahmadinejad has only been in office for around 100 days.

“I hear unjust criticism of the government and the president,” he added.

“The president must be given more time and supported so that he can accomplish his tasks.”

Ahmadinejad has been facing growing criticism at home, especially over economic problems and an increase in international tensions over the country’s nuclear program.

The Iranian president also provoked international criticism last month after calling for Israel to be “wiped off the map”.