Fadlallah, who has followers throughout the region, has not visited Iran since his relations with Tehran's ruling clergy were strained more than a decade ago over who represents the religious authority for Shiites in Lebanon and abroad.

Asked about his relations with Iran, Fadlallah said Tuesday he has ``a standing invitation to visit Iran.'' But he added without elaborating that ``the current circumstances do not allow me to make the visit now.''

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On the Net:

Fadlallah's site www.bayynat.org.lb

A Lebanese born in the Iraqi city of Najaf, the Shiite holy center, Fadlallah, 72, was spiritual mentor for Hezbollah during the 1980s, when militants linked to the group were blamed for kidnapping Westerners and bombing American embassies and the Marine base in Beirut, killing more than 260 Americans.

Fadlallah has denied links to the bombings, but President Clinton issued an order to freeze the cleric's U.S. assets as part of an anti-terror campaign.

``My relations with Hezbollah are good,'' Fadlallah said Tuesday, without elaborating.

He ended his role as Hezbollah's spiritual guide about 20 years ago and runs an Islamic charity with links to businesses that run schools, gas stations and a restaurant. He has condemned attacks that killed civilians and steered his own course on other issues.

There are increasing worries among some Arabs that the U.S. or Israel plans to strike Iran, which is suspected by the West of trying to develop a nuclear weapons program. Though Washington has stressed the need to solve differences with Tehran diplomatically, the Bush administration has said it's not ruling out any options.

In a show of defiance, Iran has staged large-scale military parades and made claims recently that its military would strike back if attacked.

``Given the high costs of the war in Iraq, a new war on Iran might lead to the collapse of the U.S. economy,'' Fadlallah warned.

He said the Bush administration has not succeeded in fighting extremists ``but it is working to create the best climate for them.'' He said the animosity created in the region by attempts to ``seize more wealth,'' apparently a reference to oil, was the problem for the United States and not trying to track down extremists.

The top religious authority for Lebanon's 1.2 million Shiites, Fadlallah told the AP he thought a U.S. attack on Iran was unlikely but would ignite the region if it took place.

``The war could probably set the region ablaze at various levels,'' he said. ``In the event of a war on Iran, U.S. soldiers in Iraq might become hostages in Iran's hands.''

The U.S. has about 170,000 troops in Iraq and is already engaged in fighting Iran-backed Shiite militias. Fadlallah did not elaborate and declined to say what he thought Hezbollah would do in the event Iran was attacked.

``I believe that the conditions in the region, the failure facing President Bush's policies in the region, and fears by (Arab) Gulf states that a war on Iran will probably destroy sensitive areas - especially oil wealth sources - makes an attack on Iran highly unlikely,'' the black-turbaned, white-bearded cleric said.