Wed May 3, 10:37 AM ET

DAMASCUS (AFP) - Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal has defended Palestinian suicide bombings as a "natural right" while denouncing what he called Washington's ambitions to dominate the Middle East.

"Our enemies ... don't understand that a suicide operation ... is a natural right," the exiled leader told students in Damascus, adding that Palestinians live "under Israeli occupation and have the right to fight and defend themselves".

Islamist faction Hamas won a shock election victory in January's Palestinian elections but has since been largely boycotted by the West over its refusal to acknowledge Israel's right to exist or renounce violence.

However, Hamas, which is responsible for the majority of suicide bombings during the five-year intifada, has not carried out any such anti-Israeli attacks since agreeing to a temporary period of calm early last year.

"The United States want to impose their hegemony on countries of the region. They don't offer relations that are balanced, of mutual interest and respect," Meshaal said.

"Those who try to raise their heads in the region ... like Syria, Iran and the resistance forces (to the Israelis), are all accused of terrorism," the Hamas political leader continued.

Syria and Iran are both accused by Washington of sponsoring terrorism, including through their support for Hamas.