Al-Qaida's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has warned that the Persian Gulf region and Israel will be the terrorist group's next targets.

The Egyptian-born Zawahiri issued the threat in a videotaped message that was broadcast Monday - the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Zawahiri warned of "new events" and suggested that militants should target Western economic interests. The deputy-leader also accused Western powers of stealing "Muslim" oil.

Zawahiri stressed that Western leaders should be more concerned about attacks in the Gulf or Israel than violence in Iraq or Afghanistan.

He also made the first indirect threat against United Nations peacekeepers bound for Lebanon. Zawahiri said the force is "hostile to Islam."

The message was not dated, but Zawahiri referred to the war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.