Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Tuesday called on Muslim states to get further united and guard against "conspiracies of enemies to cripple Muslims", the official IRNA news agency reported.

"Division is a lethal poison for the Muslim world and any action that would divide Muslims and serve enemies is a treason against the world of Islam," Khamenei told a rally on the birthday anniversary of Hazrat Ali, the first Imam of Shiites.

The Iranian leader noted that pitting Shiites and Sunnis against each other "is among usual conspiracies of enemies to cripple Muslims".

He also criticized some Arab Muslim countries for keeping silence when Israeli forces were launching attacks in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

"Under present circumstances two bitter events are gripping Muslim nations: Ongoing catastrophe in Lebanon and Palestine and massacre of innocent people and children by the Zionist regime; and division of Muslim states, especially certain Arab states that are looking on in silence," Khamenei said.

"Such a behavior is totally wrong and detrimental," he said, warning "some Muslim governments, that are keeping silence as respect for the U.S. and the arrogant powers, should know that the U.S. will never consider them."

Israel has launched a massive assault against Lebanese Hezbollah since July 12 when two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and eight others killed by the Lebanese Shiite group in a cross- border attack.

Source: Xinhua