Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi backs Hamas attack, calls it Palestinians' right to self-defence

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, on Sunday (Oct 8), voicing support for the surprise assault by Hamas, termed the 'operation' as an act of self-defence by Palestinians.

He then called on Muslim governments to back the Palestinian nation, and their rights while also issuing a warningthat Israel must be held accountable for endangering the region.

"Iran supports the legitimate defence of the Palestinian nation," Raisi said, as quoted by state television.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"The Zionist regime (Israel) and its supporters are responsible for endangering the security of nations in the region, and they must be held accountable in this matter."

Earlier, Iran's foreign ministry also in a statement said that the violence was a reaction to the Zionists' warmongering and provocative policies.

"This operation ... is the spontaneous movement of resistance groups and Palestine's oppressed people in defence of their inalienable rights and their natural reaction to the Zionists' warmongering and provocative policies," Iranian state media quoted ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani as saying.

"Iran considers that the Zionist occupier regime and its well-known supporters are responsible ... for the violence and killing against Palestinians and calls on Islamic countries to support ...the rights of the Palestinian people," Kanaani said.

Raisi speaks to Hamas, Islamic Jihad

Raisi also spoke with the leaders of Palestinian terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Sunday, as official media reports.

“Raisi discussed the developments in Palestine in separate phone calls with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, secretary general of the Islamic Jihad Movement, and Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the [Hamas] political bureau,” state news agency IRNA reported, without giving further details.

Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's senior adviser, on Saturday (Oct 7), extended support for the attack launched by Hamas on Israel and termed it a "proud operation".

"We support the proud Operation Al-Aqsa Flood," Yahya Rahim Safavi said using the codename for the operation announced by Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.

"We support this operation, and we are sure that the resistance front also supports this issue," added Safavi, a Revolutionary Guards general, in comments reported by the ISNA news agency.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani also congratulated Palestinian extremists and hailed the attack.

"Today's operation marked a new page in the field of resistance and armed operations against the occupiers," he said.

"The resistance has so far achieved brilliant victories during this operation, and this is a bright spot in the history of the Palestinian people's struggle against the Zionists."

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.