Following are excerpts from a Friday sermon delivered by Ahmad Khatami, member of the Iranian Assembly of Experts, which aired on Channel 1, Iranian TV on August 17, 2007
:Ahmad Khatami: Mr. Hamid Karzai spoke explicitly in Washington, in the presence of Bush, about the positive role played by Iran in Afghanistan. This is an example of the wise conduct of one of Iran's neighbors, and we hope that the other neighboring countries will behave the same way. They must remember that America will eventually leave, the occupiers will eventually leave, and it will be Islamic Iran that will remain. A strong Iran will protect your security, and will resolve your problems.