Pace of Zionist Regime’s Decline Accelerated: Ayatollah Khamenei

On the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, Ayatollah Khamenei met with a group of Iranian officials and ambassadors from the Islamic countries at the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah of Tehran on Saturday.

During the meeting, the Leader considered the issue of Palestine as one of the most fundamental issues of the Islamic world and pointed to the gradual decline of the usurping Zionist regime. “This decline, which began a few years ago, has accelerated now and the Islamic world must take advantage of this great opportunity,” he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei considered the issue of Palestine not only Islamic, but also a humanitarian issue. Referring to the Quds Day gatherings and marches in non-Islamic countries, he said, “Anti-Zionist gatherings in the US and European countries on Quds Day is the result of the increasing revelation of the crimes of the usurping Zionists.”

He added that the presence of a number of Europeans in support of the Palestinian people is very important, especially in countries that are dependent on the Zionists, Khamenei.ir reported.

The Leader regarded the internal resistance of the Palestinian people and the risk-taking, sacrificing nature of its youth as the main causes of the miserable situation that exists in the Zionist regime. “Today’s situation in the occupied territories proves that the more the Palestinians stand up and resist in different regions, the weaker the fake regime will become,” he emphasized.

Ayatollah Khamenei also underlined that the deterrent power of the Zionist regime is coming to an end. “Several decades ago, (David) Ben-Gurion, one of the founders of the fake regime, said ‘We will be destroyed whenever our deterrent power ends.’ The world is currently witnessing this reality and if nothing happens, the end of the usurping regime is close. This too is one of the blessings that has risen from the sacrifices of the devoted Palestinian youth in the West Bank and other occupied areas.”

With regards to these realities, the Leader considered helping the forces inside Palestine as an essential strategy of today’s Islamic world. “In line with their valuable efforts, the Resistance Front and all Islamic countries should focus on strengthening the fighting elements inside Palestine,” he stated.

The Leader referred to belief in Islam as the main reason Palestinian groups have gained strength and said these developments did not exist when there was no belief in and inclination toward the divine religion.

He called the enemies’ animosity toward Islam the result of understanding the power of Islam in strengthening the Palestinian nation and other nations, adding, “Of course, by the grace of God and the vigilance of Muslim nations, this strategy will lead nowhere.”

The late Imam Khomeini and the Islamic Republic were the forerunners in supporting the Palestinian cause, he said. “This movement will continue and we hope that the dear people of Iran would witness a day when Muslims of all Islamic countries pray freely in the Holy Quds.”

In his remarks, the Leader also said the holy month of Ramadan can bring the hearts of Muslims closer to one another and called on the officials of Islamic countries to use this opportunity to establish unity within the Islamic Ummah and reduce and resolve the differences.

“If the Quranic commandment of ‘unity around the divine rope’ is followed, the Islamic world, with a population of about two billion and having the most important and sensitive geographical regions in the world, can take a step toward resolving the problems,” he said, after enumerating the issues faced by Islamic countries, including war and conflict, dependence, poverty, and lack of scientific progress.