Hizbullah MP Hussein Moussawi on Wednesday saluted veteran U.S. reporter Helen Thomas' "courage" for her comments against Israel, which sparked a furor Washington and forced her to retire.

"Respected American journalist Helen Thomas' answer shows ... a courageous, bold, honest and free opinion which expresses what people across the globe believe: that Israel is a racist state of murderers and thugs," Moussawi said in a statement.

The Obama administration has reportedly informed Premier Saad Hariri that it "will not tolerate any transfer of Scud missiles to Hizbullah" and advised Lebanon not to vote against U.N. Security Council sanctions on Iran.

As Safir daily said Monday Defense Secretary Robert Gates informed Hariri during his visit to Washington that President Barack Obama's priority was Iran and Lebanon's voting at the Security Council which would impact U.S. military assistance to the country.

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Lebanon reportedly will decline to vote against further U.N. sanctions on Iran during a U.N. Security Council meeting to be held in New York.

The daily As-Safir on Thursday quoted U.N. diplomatic sources as saying Lebanon is likely to abstain from voting on a U.N. Security Council Resolution calling for further sanctions against Iran.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri's discussions with U.S. officials covered "details" on a number of issues concerning Lebanon, including the Israeli-occupied village of Ghajar, Hizbullah arms and renewal of Syrian-Lebanese ties, An-Nahar newspaper said Thursday.

It quoted U.S. sources as saying that Hariri's talks in Washington also tackled U.S. efforts, particularly attempts by Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell to revive negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed during his meeting in New York with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon the need to put an end to Israeli air, sea and land violations of the Lebanese sovereignty, An-Nahar newspaper reported Thursday.

Hariri held talks with Ban Wednesday prior to the U.N. Security Council meeting.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon on Thursday commemorated the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, a UNIFIL statement said.

At UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, peacekeepers representing 31 different national contingents of UNIFIL were joined by local authorities as well as by Lebanese army officers, security forces and diplomatic representatives.