Iran Will Continue to Support Palestine as One of Its Top Foreign Policy Priorities: Ayatollah Khamenei’s Aide

Ali Akbar Velayati made the remarks during a Sunday webinar held by the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening to mark the World Quds Day.

“The issue of Palestine is still one of the [most] important and prioritized issues for the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Velayati said, adding that Iran shares the same trench with its “Palestinian brethren,” not only in political and diplomatic arenas, but also in the actual field of action and resistance.

“Iran will stand with the Palestinian nation and resistance group until liberation of al-Quds from occupation,” the Leader’s advisor said.

Velayati noted that “today, and pursuant to the efforts made by Palestinian resistance groups against the Zionist regime and due to security strategies used in the ‘field’ of struggle against this regime by the resistance front, the survival of this usurping regime is faced with serious challenges from within.”

He said that the past defeats suffered by the Zionist regime in its wars against Lebanon and the Gaza Strip as well as its failure in Syria clearly prove correctness of a prediction by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution that “the Zionist regime will not see the next 25 years.”

“The official announcement of normalization of relations by some Arab countries with the apartheid Zionist regime within framework of [the former US President Donald Trump’s so-called] deal of the century was an act of treason to which, according to major polls, the biggest part of the Arab and Islamic public opinion is opposed,” Velayati said.

He further added that normalization of ties with the Zionist entity is like fire under the ashes and will in medium and long terms be faced with widespread opposition of people in those countries against their reactionary rulers.

“At no juncture of human history, we have witnessed such a prolonged, savage and violent process of occupation as carried out by the Zionist criminals. On the opposite, at few [historical] junctures we have seen such struggle and steadfastness that has been demonstrated by resistance groups against [Zionist] occupation. These struggles will finally bear fruit and we will witness the liberation of the occupied territories in not-so-far future," the Leader’s aide said.

In a speech to mark the World Quds Day on Friday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the illegal Zionist entity’s serious endeavor to normalize with a few Arab countries, with the assistance of the US, is another sign of the decline of the regime.

"Since the first day, the Zionists turned the usurped Palestine into a terrorist base. Israel is not a country, rather it is a terrorist camp against the Palestinian nation and other Muslim nations," the Leader said.

Another participant in Sunday webinar was Nasser Abu Sharif, who represents the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement in Iran.

Addressing the audience, Abu Sharif described normalization of ties with Israel by some Arab regimes as the most dangerous issue for Muslims at the present juncture.

Shams al-Din Muhammad Sharaf al-Din, the Great Mufti of Yemen, was another participant in the webinar.

Sharaf al-Din noted that the cause of Palestine belongs to all Muslims, while slamming certain Arab regimes for normalizing ties with the Zionist regime.

The Great Mufti of Yemen also reiterated Yemeni people’s support for Palestinian cause and the Palestinian nation despite the all-out war and blockade launched against the country by the Saudi-led coalition since 2015.

The deputy head of the Islamic Jihad movement, Mohammed Al Hindi, also addressed the webinar, saying that all Arab nations will finally revolt against those Arab regimes that have normalized relations with Zionists.

He added that Israel is not a country, but it consists of some criminal gangs that govern occupied territories of Palestine.

Elsewhere in the webinar, Khaled al- Qaddumi, the representative of the Palestine Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, made statements on the subject of the gathering.

Qaddumi noted that Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, has lauded Iranian government and nation for supporting the cause of Palestine.

He slammed the Zionist regime for seeking to evict Palestinian families from their ancestral homes in al-Quds, including Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of the city, which has led to violent clashes between Palestinians and Israel forces over the past couple of days.

Qaddumi then condemned the Zionist regime for its plans to Judaize al-Quds and other Palestinian territories.

The Hamas representative in Iran said, “Israel has crossed all red lines by desecrating al-Aqsa mosque and killing Palestinian worshippers.

He then called for Muslims’ decisive stance against Zionist regime’s aggression against Palestinians across the occupied territories.