Special report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

    

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei (R) meets with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

TEHRAN, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that the United States will fail to realize its objectives in the Mideast region, the state-run television reported.

    Khamenei made the comments in his meeting with visiting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who headed a large delegation to Tehran.

    "The realities in the (Mideast) region is that the arrogant front, headed by U.S. and its allies, will be the principal loser in the region," Khamenei was quoted as saying by the television.

    The Syrian president who will conclude his visit here today also met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

    During the meeting, Ahmadinejad said that the United States is seeking to sow seeds of discord among Muslims, adding that Iran and Syria must continue consultations over regional issues.

    He also voiced his support for the power-sharing deal reached between the mainstream Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah earlier this month, stressing that conflicts among Muslim groups would only serve the interests of the "enemies of Islam."

    For his part, al-Assad said that the United States has suffered consecutive setbacks in Iraq and, therefore, brings up "baseless charges" against Iran and Syria on a daily basis to create fresh challenges across the region.

    This is al-Assad's fifth visit to Iran since he took office in 2000, and his second trip to the Islamic republic since Ahmadinejad took office in August 2005.

    The United States has accused Iran and Syria of not doing enough to stop militants from crossing into Iraq to join the insurgency, which was rejected by the both countries.

    Iran and Syria have long been close allies, especially during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war when Syria was the only Arab country to support Iran.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (C) and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) meet Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran Feb. 18, 2007.(Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Bush: Iran provides bombs in Iraq

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said Wednesday that he is confident that Iran is providing deadly bombs to Iraqi insurgents but admitted he is unsure if top Iranian leaders played any role in doing so.

    "What we do know is that the Quds Force was instrumental in providing these deadly IEDs to networks inside of Iraq. We know that. And we also know that the Quds Force is a part of the Iranian government. That's a known," Bush said.