Iran''s Khamenei calls for Islamic regime in Egypt

Tehran, Feb 4 (AFP) Iran''s supreme leader AyatollahAli Khamenei today called for an Islamic regime to beinstalled in Egypt, saying the wave of Arab revolts is an"earthquake" triggered by the 1979 Iranian revolution.

The all-powerful Khamenei said the Arab uprisings, ifsuccessful, would lead to failure of US policies in the regionand that the revolts were the most worrying for the Islamicrepublic''s arch-foe Israel as its alliance with Egypt could bebroken.

"Do not back down until the implementation of apopular regime based on religion," said Khamenei, Iran''scommander-in-chief, who switched from Persian to Arabic duringhis Friday sermon directed at Egyptians.

"The clergy should play a role. For example, whenpeople come out of mosques and chant slogans, they shouldsupport. Inshallah (God willing) part of the Egyptian armywill join the people. The main enemy of the Egyptian army isthe Zionist regime and not the people," he said.

The sermon marked the first time in seven months thatKhamenei has addressed the weekly Friday prayers and came asprotesters massed in Egypt for sweeping "departure day"demonstrations to force President Hosni Mubarak to quit.

Tehran, which severed diplomatic ties with Cairo in1980, has backed the revolt in Egypt and warned Washingtonagainst "interfering" in what it says is a movement of thepeople.

"Today''s events in North Africa, Egypt and Tunisia andsome other countries have different meanings for us," Khameneisaid in Persian at Tehran university where thousands ofworshippers gathered to hear the nation''s spiritual guide.

"This is what was always talked about as theoccurrence of Islamic awakening at the time of the Islamicrevolution of the great Iranian nation and is showing itselftoday," he said.

"Our revolution has been able to be inspiring and amodel because of perseverance, stability and its insistence onprinciples," he told crowds of cheering worshippers whochanted "Death to America! Death to Israel!"

Khamenei said the Iranian revolution showed what"political independence and (ability) to resist enemies is."

"Today in Egypt one can hear your voice echoing there.

The American president who was in power during the (Iranian)revolution has said in an interview that what you hear inEgypt is familiar. What is heard in Cairo today was heard inTehran during his days," Khamenei said referring to former USPresident Jimmy Carter.

He said the Arab revolts are "a real earthquake" andif successful would lead to "failure of American policies" inthe Middle East.

Khamenei attacked Mubarak, calling him as the"servant" of Israel and the United States. (AFP)