By Daniel Siryoti and Shlomo Cesana, Israel Hayom—
Iran has officially offered Palestinian terrorist groups its support in mounting “resistance aimed at blocking the implications” of U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on the city’s international status.
Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s powerful Quds Force, a branch of the Revolutionary Guard Corps that carries out operations outside of Iran’s borders, has reportedly reached out on Monday to the commanders of the al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad’s military wing and the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, and pledged the IRGC’s “complete support for Palestinian Islamic resistance movements.”
According to a report on Sepah News, the IRGC’s news agency, Soleimani offered both groups Iran’s full financial and military support and reiterated Tehran’s “commitment to the Palestinian issue.”
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that all Muslim nations should work together to defend the rights of Palestinians against Trump’s decision.
Speaking in an emergency meeting of Muslim leaders in Istanbul, Turkey, Rouhani said the Muslim countries should resolve their internal disputes through dialogue and called for unity against Israel. Rouhani said Israel had planted seeds of tension in the crisis-hit region.
Iran’s Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Amir Hatami warned Monday that Trump’s move would “hasten the destruction of the Zionist regime and will double the unity of Muslims.”
The Islamic republic’s Shiite proxy in Lebanon, the Hezbollah terrorist group, echoed the statement, as its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, threatened that Trump’s declaration was “the beginning of the end for Israel.”
On Tuesday, Israel lodged a complaint with the U.N. Security Council over patrols carried out by Iranian troops on the Israel-Lebanon border.
The patrols were apparently part of a Hezbollah-hosted visit of Iranian officials to the area. The visits were documented on video and released to Arab media outlets.
Israel has demanded that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, stationed in the demilitarized zone between the two states, work to prevent such incidents and report them to the Security Council.