Mr. Qoddoomi, who continue to live in Tunisia and refused to go to what became the Palestinian Authority in 1993, arrived in Tehran Friday to a hero’s welcome by the Iranian clerical authorities, commonly dubbed as "more Palestinian than the Palestinians" because of the verbal coverage they give to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, despite visible indifference observed by the Iranian public.

"We need to resist and continue the struggle and the jihad (holy war)", the veteran Qoddoomi said on his arrival in Tehran and continued to hammer it during all his extensive meetings with all senior Iranian officials, including the trio made of Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the leader, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, the Chairman of the Expediency Council and the regime’s number two man and Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Khatami, the embattled and powerless President and Hojjatoleslam Mehdi Karroobi, the Speaker.

Informed sources said the two sides reviewed ways and means to enhance effective measures Muslim nations could take in support of Mr. Arafat, adding that no concrete measure was found, with Iran expressing anger at Egypt and Jordan for not cutting their diplomatic relations with the Jewish State.

Mr. Qoddoomi called for the installation of international forces in the occupied territories, as in the besieged city of Ramallah, Mr. Arafat was receiving the American Foreign Minister Collin Powell.

Though the American minister had described his talks, held in the shattered offices of Mr. Arafat as "useful and productive", the official Iranian news agency IRNA said the Arafat-Powell talks were "indecisive".

However, it is an established fact that Iran provides the Lebanese Hezbollah with modern anti-tank rockets, explosive devices and other light armaments and ammunitions, some of them reaching Palestinians anti-peace organisations such as the HAMAS and the Islamic Jihad of Palestine.

Both Tehran and the Palestinian Authority denied any involvement and accused Israel of having fabricated the story, regardless of the fact that the Palestinian captain of the ship, "Karine A", had acknowledged that he had received the material at an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf.

Meeting with Mr. Qoddoomi, Iranian officials stressed that the 18-month-old Intifada must continue "at any cost", but they stopped short saying what they would do for the struggle to continue.

However, the Iranian official news agency IRNA said Qoddoomi thanked the Iranian leader for calling on the Arab States to put into force a symbolic one month oil embargo against Israel and Washington to protest Israeli brutal crimes against Palestinians and called on the Islamic states to implement the plan.

Receiving his Palestinian counterpart, the Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Kamal Kharazi said that resistance is the only way for the Palestinians to defeat Israel.

"Iran is a supporter of the Palestinian nation and it is necessary for Iran to be aware of new developments in Palestine", said Mr. Kharrazi, who, according to the pro-conservatives English-language daily "Tehran Times", called on the United States and Turkey to take "serious measures to stop the massacre of Palestinians".

Both sides also lambasted the United States for the massive, unilateral support it provides Israel against the Palestinians.

He said that the Islamic and Arab states should take effective measures to deal with Israel’s "aggressions against defenceless Palestinians", but failed to suggest any concrete measure.

"Under the circumstances which Israel does not withdraw from the Holy Qods (Jerusalem) and the settlements in the occupied territories and does not accept full repatriation of Palestinian refugees in their homeland, the Palestinians have no alternative but to proceed with their resistance to Israeli army", the former president told Mr. Qoddomi.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the entire Palestine belongs to Palestinians and is confident that one day they will reach their own rights", he added. ENDS IRAN PALESTINE 14402