Iran-Israel ties: Khamenei pulls up states for trying to normalise relations with Tel Aviv

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday, October 24, that some regional states' attempts to restore relations with Israel are "a great sin and mistake," cited IRNA, an official news agency. Khamenei asked the governments to turn away from the anti-Islamic movement and make amends for their 'big blunders', referring to the governments that recently established diplomatic relations with Israel. In the context of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, he called for Muslim states to unite to "restore Palestinian rights."

With the attendance of key Iranian leaders, Khamenei made the remarks on the Prophet Muhammad's birthday. According to him, The main indicator for the unity of Muslims is the issue of Palestine, and the more seriousness is spent on the restoration of the rights of the Palestinians, the stronger the Islamic unity will become," Khamenei was quoted as saying, ANI reported.

He also expressed grievance over recent "unfortunate and tearful explosions" in Afghan mosques against Muslims and worshipers, saying that they were done by the Islamic State (IS) militants, which the Americans explicitly stated that we created, ANI reported. In 2020, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco agreed to normalise relations with Israel, as Washington, under then-US President Donald Trump's administration, made Arab-Israeli reconciliation a foreign policy priority.

Iran-Israel Ties

Shortly after Khamenei's address, Ali Shamkhani, Iran's top security official, threatened to inflict billions of dollars in damage in a shocking response if Israel attacks Tehran's nuclear programme. The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council tweeted in response to Israeli media claims that 5 billion shekels ($1.5 billion) had been granted for military preparations in the event of a strike on Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran has accused Israel of carrying out acts of sabotage against its nuclear installations on several occasions. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has positioned itself as a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause. Egypt and Jordan were the only Arab countries to normalise relations with Israel until last year. "they were done by the Islamic State (IS) militants, which the Americans explicitly stated that we created." Khamenei remarked. Iran has repeatedly accused Israel of being behind acts of sabotage targeting its nuclear facilities.

Image: ANI