Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Aesfi condemned Israeli action in southern Lebanon following the snatching of three Israeli soldiers by Hizbollah fighters, press reports said Sunday.
Tehran "strongly condemns the Israeli Zionists' savage action in bombarding the defenseless people in southern Lebanon," Asefi was quoted by the Iran News daily as saying late Saturday.
"The Zionist regime has reached an impasse in the current state of affairs, and is unable to reply effectively to the wave of anger, frustration and the unrest felt by Muslims all over the world, and in particular the Intifada of the Palestinian people," he said.
The Iranian official accused the Israeli government of "increasing its brutal, barbaric and threatening behavior against the local Arab population," while "making a futile bid to divert world attention ... to other regions."
The foreign ministry spokesman also called on the international community to take "swift and decisive" measures against the Israeli "brutal, repressive, and horrific acts."
Israeli helicopter gunships went into action following the Hizbollah ambush and attacks by the guerrillas on Israeli positions with rockets and mortars, the first since Israel pulled out of southern Lebanon in May.
Lebanese police said the helicopters wounded 17 people in attacks on civilian vehicles, and an Israeli shell wounded another three in a village.
Hizbollah attacked after Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinian refugees demonstrating on the Lebanese side of the border against violence in the Palestinian territories.
On Saturday, Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said any Israeli military action against Lebanon would be "bitter" for Israel.
"I don't put aside the possibility of an Israeli adventure into Lebanon," Kharazi told the Qatari television network Al-Jazeera.
"Its result will be bitter for Israel, which tried before with Hizbollah, which won."
Iran's and Syria's support for Hizbollah guerrillas helped force Israel out of south Lebanon in May after 22 years of occupation – TEHRAN (AFP)
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