TEHRAN (IRNA) – The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, here on Thursday stated that maintaining and strengthening Islamic identity is the only way to solve all the problems the Islam world is currently facing.

Addressing participants at the 3rd conference of the World Ahl-ul Bait Assembly, the Leader said that since the the Shia have always been the forerunners in the campaign for Islamic unity, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers defending Muslim nations as its duty.

As to Iran's support for the struggle of the Palestinian people against the Zionist regime, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that the Islamic Republic has not come to terms with the Zionist occupiers, the global arrogance and their allies over the past 25 years and will maintain this stance in the future.

Commenting on attempts by the global arrogance, headed by the United States, to make Muslims lose their Islamic spirit, the Leader underlined the need for consolidation of unity among the Islamic ummah across the globe.

Ayatollah Khamenei also paid tribute to the late Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer al-Hakim, the former deputy chairman of the World Ahl-ul Bait Assembly.

Referring to presence of the occupying forces as the main problem facing the Iraqi people, the Leader emphasized that if the Iraqi people are allowed to choose their own ruling system and constitution, they will certainly run their country in the best possible manner.

The third conference of the World Ahl-ul Bait Assembly opened in Tehran yesterday. About 500 intellectuals from 84 countries are attending.

The agenda of the meeting includes reports to be given by Muslim scholars and intellectuals and a review of the problems of the Islamic world and future programs of the World Ahl-ul Bait Assembly.