TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday that supporting Palestine is Iran’s principled policy.

“Supporting Palestine is one of the principled policies of the Islamic Republic and we hope that certain Islamic governments which are dependent on the U.S. and Zionists’ support would return to the world of Islam and would realize that the Zionists are not a trusted friend and partner,” he said during a meeting with Mahmoud al-Zahar, the co-founder of Hamas and a member of the Hamas leadership in Gaza, in Tehran.

Zarif said, "Unfortunately, the resistance movement now faces opposition from inside the world of Islam."

The chief diplomat suggested that the Islamic world should support Palestine unitedly.

Zahar, who was accompanied by parliamentary delegation, expressed hope that the Zionism project would end in failure through resistance by the Palestinians and support by the Islamic world.

Iran says corruption will sink Israel

During a separate meeting with Zahar, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, predicted that widespread corruption will annihilate the Zionist regime of Israel.

“What will annihilate the Zionist regime is internal and widespread corruption of its heads and the nations’ awareness of this child-killer regime’s plots and cruelty against the humanity,” he said.

Shamkhani also praised Palestinians’ resistance against Israel.

“Today, supporters of Palestine across the world believe that the only way to succeed and uphold the rights of people [in Palestine] is relying on domestic will and Islamic resistance,” Shamkhani remarked. 

He noted that the Palestine cause and liberation of the noble Quds are the most important priorities of the Islamic world.

“Any action that cause deviation on the path of fighting the Zionist regime, as the main threat to the world of Islam, is a betrayal of the Muslims,” the security official added.

For his part, Zahar said the “illegitimate” regime of Israel is on the wane and condemned any move that leads to recognition of Israel.

Zahar, who was leading a parliamentary delegation to Iran, also condemned certain Islamic countries’ actions against Iran and weakening the position of the resistance front.

Velayati calls Palestinians’ achievements valuable

Ali Akbar Velayati, a top foreign policy adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said in a separate meeting with Zahar and his accompanying team that the Palestinians have made “valuable” achievements against the Zionists and their supporters.

“As a result of Palestine’s resistance against the Zionists and their supporters, valuable achievements have been made which should be a lesson for them [the Zionists and their allies],” Velayati remarked.

Zahar said that the Islamic awakening is being promoted and Palestine will be the winner.

NA/PA