Sunday, 8 October, 2000, 11:57 GMT 12:57 UK Iran warns Israel over Lebanon

Iran has warned of severe consequences to Israel if invades Lebanon following the capture of three Israeli soldiers on Sunday.

The Iranian news agency IRNA said the Foreign Minister, Kamal Kharazzi, issued the warning in a telephone conversation with the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and asked him to pass it on to Israel.

Mr Kharrazzi also told Qatar's al-Jazeera television that Israel must release all Lebanese prisoners it was holding in exchange for its soldiers.

Mr Kharazzi was speaking in Tehran after talks with the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal. Iran backs the Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon and the Palestinian Hamas group which rejects peace with Israel.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_962000/962412.stm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), October 08, 2000