"The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns any eventual military action in Afghanistan which would lead to a new human catastrophe", the state-run Radio and Television that are under the leader’s direct control quoted him as saying.

"The innocent people of Afghanistan have suffered for 25 years. Are these Moslem people once more to be crushed under the yoke of war because some people are alleged to have taken part in the attacks in the United States, although these accusations have not been proved?" Mr. Khameneh’i said, quoted by the Iranian official news agency IRNA.

Ayatollh Khameneh’i pointed to the "agony of the "oppressed people of Afghanistan" during the past 25 years" and said: "Are those Muslim people once more to be crushed under the yoke of war because some people are alleged to have taken part in the attacks in the United States, although these accusations have not been proved?"

Iran does not have relations with the Pakistani-backed Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, better known as Taleban and alongside Russia and India, supports the anti-Taleban forces of Northern Alliance.

Nowhere in his speech Mr. Khameneh’i neither mentioned the name of Mr. Ben Laden nor did he shared the US accusations against him.

Coming to the crushing of two passenger planes into the WTC towers and the Pentagon, a staggering terrorist operation that killed and wounded thousands of people, Mr. Khameneh’i said there should be no discrimination in condemning the massacre of human beings.

By avoiding deliberately mentioning the Israelites, the staunchly anti-American, anti-Israeli Khameneh’i in a way made a distinction between the Muslims and the Christians with the Jews whom he implied could be killed, even though they are officially recognised by Islam as one of the three monotheist religions.

"Killing of people, in any place and with any kind of weapons, including atomic bombs, long-range missiles, biological or chemical weapons, passenger or war planes, carried out by any organisation, country or individuals is condemned", Mr. Khameneh’i said during an audience with his representatives at Iranian universities.

The Islamic Republic does not have relations with the Jewish State, which it compares to a "cancerous tumor" that should be "eradicated from the map" and firmly support Palestinian extremist groups such as HAMAS, the Islamic Jihad of Palestine or the Lebanese Hezbollah instead.

"Why has the world closed its eyes on the crimes committed by the Zionists in the occupied Palestine and has been silent toward such tragedy?" he asked

Mr. Khameneh’i pointed to the "efforts" deployed by Israel to "take advantage" of the attacks in the United States by intensifying pressure on the Muslims in Palestine and said, "under current situation, Muslims are duty bound to voice their protest against the crimes of the Zionist regime".

Ayatollah Khameneh’i expressed regret over the "poisonous propaganda" by the western media about the Muslims and their efforts to provoke public opinion against them and said: "How can you accuse the Muslims who have been oppressed in the world and even in the United States and how can you generalise the accusation against a Muslim which has not been proved to all Muslims?"

"Can you condemn all Jews because of the heinous crimes that the Zionists are currently committing against the Palestinians?" he asked.

"The fact that there are some Muslim names which are not known how they have entered the terrorist network cannot be a permission for oppression against the Muslims and attack on the people of Afghanistan", the leader observed.

Stressing that "serious vulnerability" of the United States in its internal security affairs has now been made known, Ayatollah Khameneh’i said: "How come a country that claims to be the headman of the global village, harbors the most dangerous terrorists".

"Exorbitant demands by the United States and world powers is the root cause of their losses", he said, adding that the reason of the recent events is the "expansionist policies of the United States in the world. If this country had abandons these policies and keep dealing with its own internal affairs, such problems and events would not have happened", he went on.

The fact that Iranian president Mohammad Khatami was one of the first personalities in the Muslim world to openly condemn the terrorist attacks on the United States was warmly welcomed by American officials.