TEHRAN, 08 May, 2021 (TON): Iran on Friday marked the Al-Quds Day, an annual event to show solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle for the liberation of occupied territories.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the "downward spiral" leading to the decline of Israel "has started and will not stop."
He said Palestinians who used to defend themselves with stones are now responding with sophisticated missiles, adding that the "balance has shifted" in favor of Palestine.
Khamenei, Khomeini's successor, said fighting Israel is "everyone's responsibility," urging Palestinian resistance groups to continue to fight against the "usurping regime."
He added the growth of the Palestinian resistance axis is a "nightmare" for Israel and its American and European supporters, adding that the "failed plot of the Deal of the Century" and efforts by some Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel are "desperate attempts to escape that nightmare".
He also called for a referendum to determine the future of Palestinians and the return of Palestinian refugees to their land.
Earlier, Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Al-Quds Day has turned into a "symbol of fighting occupation and bullying among Muslims and all freedom-seekers across the world."
Earlier in a statement by President Hassan Rouhani, called Israel "the enemy of the region," while referring to the Al-Quds Day as a "mourning day for the Zionists" this year.
Foreign Minister Javad Zarif described Palestine as "a yardstick for justice" while calling Al-Quds Day "a yearly reminder of the moral imperative of global solidarity for Palestine."
Palestinian worshippers clashed with Israeli police late Friday at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, a major holy site sacred to Muslims and Jews, in an escalation of weeks of violence in Jerusalem that has reverberated across the region.
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