960417

Iranian students

hold anti-Israeli

rally

TEHRAN: About 400 Iranian students volunteered to join Lebanon's Hizbollah movement in its fight against Israel during an overnight sit-in outside the United Nations office in Tehran.

Members of Student Baseej (paramilitary volunteers) of Imam Sadeq University, chanting "Death to Israel" and "Death to America", sat in the street outside the U.N. office through the night to Wednesday morning and held a mass prayer.

They said Hizbollah should threaten Israeli interests around the world.

"We are volunteers for the Islamic resistance in Lebanon. We are waiting for the permission of the (spiritual) leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei," read a banner erected near the gate.

The students urged the government to continue its military, political and economic support for Hizbollah.

"We suggest that Moslems all over the world form Hizbollah cells...threaten the interests of world imperialism in whatever way they can," a statement said.

Tehran has close ties with fellow Shi'ite Moslem Hizbollah, which is leading resistance to Israel's occupation zone in south Lebanon.-Reuter