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Iran praises French role in Lebanon truce

TEHRAN: Iran hailed Saturday the "active role" played by France in achieving a ceasefire in Lebanon and said Paris had stopped Washington "imposing" its own solution.

Iranian state radio said the Israeli operation against the pro-Iranian militia Hezbollah in southern Lebanon had been "a military and political failure" for Israel.

"The active and constructive role of France prevented the United States from imposing its plans," the radio said. It said the French action proved that France "can recover its past role in the Middle East".

The radio said the ceasefire with French involvement was "a failure for Tel Aviv and a setback for American diplomacy in the Middle East".

BEIRUT: Meanwhile Israel kept up low-intensity land and sea shelling of south Lebanon, and Hizbollah guerrillas fired back Katyusha rockets, just hours before a 4 a.m. (0100 GMT) ceasefire was due to take effect on Saturday.

In Beirut, Hizbollah (Party of God) chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah told a late-night news conference the group would respect the ceasefire, and ordered his guerrillas to stop rocket attacks on northern Israel on the deadline.

"This is a call to the struggling fighters: as of 4 a.m., when the Israeli aggression will stop, you will stop firing Katyusha rockets into northern Israel," Nasrallah told reporters at a secret location in Beirut's southern suburbs.

The written ceasefire understanding barred the pro-Iranian guerrillas from firing Katyusha rockets at northern Israel -- the chief cause according to Israel for launching the April 11 "Operation Grapes of Wrath" against southern Lebanon.

The guerrillas were also barred from launching attacks from civilian areas on Israeli troops occupying a south Lebanon border zone.

Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri announced the ceasefire in Beirut as Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres and U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher -- who brokered the deal after seven days of shuttle diplomacy -- made a similar announcement in Jerusalem.-AFP/Reuter