The leader of the Lebanese Islamic Front Fathi Yakan, here Friday called for formation of a joint defense pact among Iran and Arab as well as Islamic states to defend the Islamic world.Yakan, paid a visit to Iran last week at the head of a delegation to attend a conference on Islamic unity. He said that in his talks with senior Iranian officials, they discussed the ongoing crisis in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq as well as moves of intelligence and security organizations of the US, Britain and Israel to foment strife among the various sects of Islam. Muslims of the world are united in efforts to strengthen unity among the Ummah and to counter the US and Zionist regime's threats, aggressions and plots, he added.
The Lebanese official said that the sides also exchanged views on the need to hold conferences to encourage proximity among the various Islamic sects, establish an international Islamic resistance front composed mainly of Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims and strengthen support for the Islamic resistance in Iraq as well as bridge ethnic divisions encouraged by certain Iraqi leaders and groups. Yakan was also the General Secretary of the Lebanese Al-Jamaa Al-Islamia or the Islamic Association until he won his seat in the Lebanese parliament. He subsequently lost the parliament seat in 2005 elections.
Iran funds Hezbollah group in Lebanon, which is trying to unseat the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. But Siniora , who is supported by the parliament majority is standing his ground and refuses to step down.