Iran defends Hezbollah's arms

PARIS, April 7 (UPI) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi has defended Hezbollah's armed resistance against Israel, saying it deters Israeli aggression against Lebanon.

Speaking in an interview with the London-based Saudi daily al-Hayat, during a trip to France, Kharrazi said, "The Lebanese are not even discussing the possibility of disarming Hezbollah because they know that Israeli aggressions are still possible and the only force deterring them is the Party of God."

Kharrazi was implicitly criticizing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, which calls for Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias to be disbanded, in reference to Hezbollah and armed Palestinian groups.

Regarding Iraq, Kharrazi hailed the Jan. 30 elections for the Legislative Assembly, which he described as "a great and positive development on the way for this country's stability."

"The government which will be formed next will be fully legitimate and will stamp out all the reasons justifying terrorism," he added.