Tehran  - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday promised his visiting Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman that Iran would always stand by Lebanon.

"Lebanon has finally found its track after many stormy years and now enjoys tranquillity and security," Ahmadinejad said in his meeting with Suleiman.

According to ISNA news agency, Ahmadinejad further said Lebanese resistance against Israel had turned Lebanon into a symbol of courage in the region.

ISNA quoted Suleiman as saying his country was grateful to Iran for its constant support and hoped the Tehran-Beirut summit would lead to strengthening bilateral ties.

Tehran  - Iran's economy will be able to cope oil prices going even as low as five dollars per barrel, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday.

"Our economy is internally-oriented and therefore we can even manage to run the country with low oil prices, even if they go down to eight or five dollars (per barrel)," Ahmadinejad claimed while visiting the Tehran press fair.

Due to the global economic crisis, oil prices have also fallen drastically, affecting countries such as Iran whose main income is from oil export revenues. On Friday, the OPEC cartel - to which Iran belongs - said its per-barrel price had dropped to just over 44 dollars.

Washington, Nov 7 : In a landmark gesture, Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated Barack Obama on his historic win, becoming the first Iranian leader to offered such wishes to the 44th US President elect since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Ahmadinejad sent a message to Obama in which he congratulated the President elect on “attracting the majority of voters in the election,” and said he hopes Obama will use the opportunity to serve the (American) people and leave a good name for history during his term in office.

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday again blamed the United States for the global market crisis.

"This is not a global crisis but your (US) crisis," Ahmadinejad said in Khorramabad, western Iran.

"After the political failures (in Iraq and Afghanistan), the wrong US policies also affected their own economy," the president said in a speech carried live by the news network Khabar.

Ahmadinejad said US and Western desire for hegemony had led to the current market crisis.

"You (US) are the roots for all the corruption in the world and there is no way out of this dilemma than to return to the path of spirituality, ethics and justice," he said.

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that the global market crisis was due to Western hegemonic policies.

"This (crisis) is the result of their (Western) hegemony and their violating policies beyond their own borders," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the Caspian Sea city Rasht in northern Iran.

He was referring to the Western military presence in Iraq, and support for Israel in the dispute with the Palestinians.

Sydney - Australia on Wednesday placed further sanctions on Iran but dropped plans to hold President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to account for his anti-Semitic pronouncements.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Canberra was "deeply concerned" at Iran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment and other activities as required by multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

Australia has repeatedly urged Iran to cooperate with inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to show it is only using uranium for peaceful purposes.

Smith announced financial sanctions on individuals and organizations deemed essential Iran's nuclear and missile programmes.