TEHRAN -- On Tuesday, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei urged the Islamic community to defend Lebanon’s Hezbollah in its war against Israel.

“Today, it is the entire Muslim community's duty to defend Hezbollah,” Ayatollah Khamenei told the crowd at a gathering in Tehran commemorating the birth anniversary of Imam Ali (AS).

The Leader lashed out at the United States and Britain for their actions and words of encouragement in regard to the Zionists’ crimes in Lebanon.

He also criticized the United Nations for its “incompetence” and upbraided some Arab countries for "looking on in silence".

"Under the current circumstances, two bitter events are gripping Muslim nations: the ongoing catastrophe in Lebanon and Palestine and the massacre of innocent people and children by the Zionist regime; and division of Muslim states, especially certain Arab states that are watching in silence. Such behavior is totally wrong and detrimental," IRNA quoted him as saying.

“Some Islamic states, which have kept quiet due to their deference to the U.S. and other arrogant powers, should know that the U.S. will never consider their interests,” Khamenei said.

Fomenting division between Shias and Sunnis has always been a tool used by the enemies to paralyze Muslims, he added. He called division a deadly poison for the Islamic world, adding, “Any measure that would cause discord between Muslims and benefit the enemies is a betrayal against the Islamic world.”

The U.S., along with the Zionists and some other evil European powers like Britain, are seeking to eradicate Islam in the region because Islam has blocked their greedy actions, he observed.

Praising Hezbollah’s resistance against the Zionist regime’s aggression, the Supreme Leader said that the Zionist army, which was regarded as invincible and that once defeated three Arab armies in six days, has not yet been able to overcome Hezbollah and is suffering consecutive defeats, despite the fact that about one month has passed since the fighting began and despite the U.S. support.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei hailed Hazrat Ali (AS) as a model of justice who is respected and loved by all the world’s freedom lovers.

He said that the most important lesson that can be learned from Imam Ali (AS) is to struggle and conduct jihad for God.

“Today, the Islamic ummah’s most important duty is to struggle and conduct jihad for God to revive the academic, moral, and individual glory and the Islamic dignity of the Muslims, and to compensate for the backwardness.”