BEIRUT, Lebanon, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Remarks by Iran's supreme leader on a tribunal probing the assassination of Rafik Hariri are signs of support for Lebanon, a Hezbollah official said.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's top cleric, described the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as "a kangaroo court" that was acting against Tehran's allies in Beirut.
Walid Succarieh, a Hezbollah member of Parliament, told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that Tehran was sending a message ahead of expected indictments from the STL.
"Iran wants to tell those who seek strife through the indictment: Stay right there. We won't stand idle while the fire is burning our homes," he said.
P.J. Crowley, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, told reporters during his regular briefing that the tribunal was an independent body that should be free from external pressure.
"We regret that there are many in the region who have chosen to politicize the work of the tribunal," he said.
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the slain leader's son, said he respected Iran's supreme leader but stressed his statements reflected the opinion of Tehran, not Beirut's, Hezbollah's al-Manar reports.
The STL is investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri. Hezbollah is likely to be named by the tribunal when it releases its indictment, though the Shiite organization said it has evidence to suggest Israel played a role in the assassination. UPI
