Addressing thousands of cheering Hezbollah supporters in Bint Jbeil, where there was fierce fighting between the militant Iranian-backed group and Israeli soldiers in 2006, Ahmadinejad said the town symbolized Lebanon's defiance.

"The world should know the Zionists are mortal ... today the Lebanese nation is alive and is a role model for regional nations," the Iranian president said on the second day of a trip that highlighted the growing power of Tehran's ally Hezbollah.

Bint Jbeil is just 4 km (2.5 miles) from the border and Israel's Channel 2 Television said echoes of Ahmadinejad's welcoming ceremony were audible on the Israeli side minutes before he arrived. The town was heavily bombed in the 34-day conflict four years ago and most houses around the stadium where he spoke had been rebuilt since then.

Reuters