TEHRAN – In a meeting with the Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Ahmad Gibril on Monday, Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said “We are confident that the Palestinian nation will strive to restore its legitimate rights more firmly in the new stage of its struggle.”

“The leadership and people of Iran as the two pillars of the Islamic Revolution have always supported the struggle of the Palestinian nation,” he stated, adding supporting Palestinians is one of Iran’s unchangeable principles.

Being greedy, Israel does not value any right for the Palestinians and its permanent policy during the past decades has been to expand its borders and kill time, he added.

Historic developments such as withdrawal of the Israeli forces from south Lebanon and Gaza Strip, Palestinian parliamentary elections and a follow-up formation new Palestinian government have all injected new blood into the veins of Muslim nations to support the Palestinians, the Iranian chief diplomat commented.

“Today more than ever the enemies of the Palestinians are trying to create division between the Palestinian groups and distort the original ideals of their struggle, so unity of the Palestinians is a secret to their success,” he noted.

For his part, Gibril described the third conference on Palestine in Tehran as a great manifestation of unity between world’s Muslims and freedom-seekers in supporting the Palestinian ideals.

“The resistance of the Palestinians against the occupiers has entered a new phase and they have become more resolute in their resistance, he added.

All talks with the Israelis in the past have proven that they sought to deprive the Palestinians of their rights, he pointed out.

Pressures on the Palestinians make them more determined in seeking their rights, he added.