Iran, Syria speak for Hezbollah and Hamas

DAMASCUS, Syria, July 18 (UPI) -- Iran wants a truce in the Middle East, both in Lebanon and Gaza, for an exchange of prisoners but not at the expense of resistance movements.

A Damascus-based Iranian diplomatic source told United Press International Tuesday, a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Manushehr Mottaki ended a visit to Syria, "Iran supports a cease-fire and calming down the situation but there will be no political or security solution at the expense of the resistance."

He said Mottaki carried a letter to Syrian President Bashar Assad affirming Iran will stand by Syria in case it was the target of any attack.

A Palestinian source in the Syrian capital said Mottaki "stressed his country's support of the steadfastness of the resistance and expressed confidence in its capacity of achieving victory."

"The truce which Iran is calling for in the region will not be at the expense of rights, primarily the right for resistance," the Palestinian source added.

Despite continuing military escalations in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, the source said, "the situation is sensitive and dangerous but it is not as difficult as many would think."

Mottaki declared Monday following talks with Assad and his Foreign Minister Waleed Muallem that it would be possible to have a truce for swapping prisoners.

Israel launched military operations against Gaza and Lebanon following the kidnapping of three of its soldiers by Hamas and Hezbollah which want to swap the soldiers of thousands of Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails.