Iran Serious on Palestinian Issue: Ayatollah Khamenei

Speaking at a meeting with a high-ranking delegation from the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, in Tehran on Monday, Ayatollah Khamenei described the Palestinian issue as “the first and foremost issue of the Muslim world” and hailed the resistance of the Palestinian people and political groups, including Hamas, as “wonderful”.   

“Victory will not be achieved without resistance and struggle and, based on a definite divine promise, we believe that the issue of Palestine will surely end in favor of the Palestinian people and the Islamic world,” the Leader stated.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran does not stand on ceremony with any country in the world when it comes to Palestine,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding, “We have always expressed our views on Palestine clearly and transparently.”

“Even in the international arena, our friendly countries, with whom we have differences of opinion in this regard, know that the Islamic Republic is completely serious on the Palestinian issue,” the Leader stated.

“One of the major causes of hostility toward the Islamic Republic of Iran is the issue of Palestine but these hostilities and pressures will not make Iran retreat from its stance on the issue because support for Palestine is a religious issue,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

“If the Islamic world had stood firm unitedly with regard to the issue of Palestine, it would have better conditions now,” the Leader went on to say.

The move by countries that toe the line of the US, like Saudi Arabia, to distance themselves from the Palestinian issue is “absurd” because if they had supported the Palestinians, they could have won major concessions from the United States, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed.  

In the Eid al-Fitr sermons in Tehran last month, Ayatollah Khamenei said the US-Israeli plot against Palestinians, known as the deal of the century, is doomed to failure and will never materialize.

Decrying the US conspiracy for the deal of century, the Leader said the betrayal of the cause of Palestine by some Muslim countries, including Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, has provided the grounds for “the evil plot”.

The deal of the century will never materialize, Ayatollah Khamenei said, expressing gratitude to some Arab countries and the Palestinian groups that have voiced their opposition to the deal.

The deal of century ploy, fronted by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, has already been rejected by the Palestinians, who say the White House's policies have been blatantly biased in favor of Israel.

Palestinians have cut off all contacts with the Trump administration since the president broke with decades of bipartisan policy to recognize al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the capital of Israel in December 2017.

In the meantime, Bahrain hosted a conference in June to encourage what it calls investment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as part of Trump’s plan for Palestine.

The so-called “Peace to Prosperity” economic workshop, which was held on June 25 and 26 in cooperation with Washington, was rebuffed by Palestinian officials and business leaders.