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Defending Palestine A Religious Duty: Iran’s Larijani

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani pledged Tehran’s unwavering support for the Palestinian nation, saying that the Islamic Republic considers defending the Palestinian people against the Zionist regime of Israel as its religious duty.

Speaking in a meeting with members of different Palestinian groups, Larijani said the issue of Palestine has always been high on agenda in the Islamic Republic.

“The Iranian people and officials defend the Palestinian nation as their religious duty,” the parliament speaker noted.

“The issue of defending Palestine is a pivotal issue in Iran and all (political) parties and groups in the Islamic Republic have the same view in this regard,” he said.

Larijani further stressed the need for the unity of Muslim countries in support of the Palestinian nation.

The remarks came against the backdrop of a report by London-based newspaper Asharq al-Awsat on January 31 that claimed Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook, a senior political member of the Palestinian Resistance Movement, Hamas, had criticized Iran for not supporting Palestine, especially after 2009.

Earlier this week, however, Abu Marzook praised Iran for backing Palestine, saying, “Up to now, no Islamic or Arab country has assisted the Palestinian Resistance as much as Iran, particularly since 2006 when the Islamic Republic threw its support behind the Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip.”

He also described Tehran-Hamas relations as “significant and strategic” and called for the Islamic Republic’s continued support for Palestine’s resistance against Israeli aggressions.

Golrokh Askarieh