IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER ON TUESDAY BLASTED THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL FOR FAILING TO STOP THE ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT, AND CALLED ISRAEL AND ITS PROTECTORS «PARTNERS IN THESE BRUTAL CRIMES» AGAINST LEBANESE CIVILIANS. «THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL HAS PROVEN ITS USELESSNESS AND INEFFECTIVENESS DURING THIS (ISRAELI) AGGRESSION,» MANOUCHEHR MOTTAKI TOLD REPORTERS AFTER MEETING WITH LEBANESE PRESIDENT EMILE LAHOUD, ACCORDING TO A REPORT OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. «WE THINK THAT THE PROTECTORS OF THE ZIONIST ENTITY AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT IT ARE PARTNERS IN THESE BRUTAL CRIMES BEING COMMITTED AGAINST THE INNOCENT WOMEN AND CHILDREN» OF LEBANON, MOTTAKI SAID. HE ARRIVED IN LEBANON ON MONDAY, IN THE FIRST VISIT BY AN IRANIAN OFFICIAL TO WAR-TORN LEBANON SINCE FIGHTING BROKE OUT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH FIGHTERS THREE WEEKS AGO. HE TRAVELED OVER LAND FROM NEIGHBORING SYRIA, SINCE THE COUNTRY'S ONLY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS BOMBED IN THE FIRST DAYS OF THE WAR. ON MONDAY NIGHT, MOTTAKI MET WITH LEBANESE FOREIGN MINISTER FAWZI SALLOUKH AND WITH FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER PHILIPPE DOUSTE-BLAZY, WHO WAS IN BEIRUT FOR THE THIRD TIME SINCE HEZBOLLAH CAPTURED TWO ISRAELI SOLDIERS ON JULY 12 _ TRIGGERING THE ISRAELI OFFENSIVE THAT HAS KILLED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE, MOSTLY CIVILIANS. BOTH MEETINGS TOOK PLACE AT THE IRANIAN EMBASSY LATE MONDAY, BUT PARTICIPANTS MADE NO COMMENTS TO THE PRESS. 1452 Local Time 1152 GMT
