TEHRAN - In a recent statement, Iran's acting Foreign Minister, Ali Baqeri Kani, declared that Iran has been among the most vocal nations in condemning Israel's genocidal war crimes in Gaza.

Baqeri Kani's remarks were published on Saturday in Turkey's Milliyet newspaper. His comments come amid an ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has resulted in a high death toll and severe humanitarian crises, including famine, over the past eight months.

The Iranian diplomat emphasized that the Islamic Republic has persistently voiced its strong opposition to the Zionist regime’s brutal actions against the Palestinians. 

"For the past eight months, Iran has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Zionist regime's bloodshed against the oppressed people of Palestine," Baqeri Kani asserted, urging for an end to the ongoing invasion and genocide.

Baqeri Kani further accused Israel of having no reservations about committing grave international crimes against Palestinians, describing the situation as a "full-scale Gaza genocide." 

He lamented the international community's failure to take decisive action against Israel's actions, which are supported by Western nations, particularly the United States.

Recognizing Iran's role in the global community, Baqeri Kani stated, "We are aware of our responsibility as a member of the international community, the United Nations, and the Islamic world. We have used and will continue to use every opportunity to assist Gaza."

He identified the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands by Israel as the root cause of the crisis, arguing that sustainable peace can only be achieved by respecting Palestinian rights. 

Iran calls for Islamic boycott of Israel over Gaza genocide

In an interview with CNN TÜRK, Iran's acting foreign minister condemned the "crimes and genocide committed by the Zionists in Gaza" and called on Islamic countries to take immediate action.

“The Gaza issue has become the most important issue in today's world. The crimes and genocide committed by the Zionists in Gaza are one of the most painful realities of our day. All governments must make efforts to stop the crimes and genocide committed by the Zionists in Gaza. Islamic countries, and especially the 8 developing Islamic countries, have very heavy responsibilities in this sensitive period,” Baqeri commented on Saturday during his visit to Istanbul.

The diplomat argued that the most effective measure would be to "immediately terminate the political and economic cooperation of Islamic countries that have contact with the Zionist regime”. 

He criticized Western countries, particularly the United States and European nations, for failing to take action against Israel’s crimes. 

“Today, we see various human rights violations in Gaza. Westerners, who claim to be defenders of human rights, especially the U.S. and European countries, displayed an unacceptable attitude towards the crimes and genocide committed in Gaza. They did not take any actual action to put an end to the tragedy, and even supported Israel’s massacre of the innocent and homeless people of Gaza,” Baqeri stated. 

The caretaker foreign minister also reiterated Iran's support for the Resistance forces in West Asia. “We, as the Islamic Republic of Iran, have always supported the Axis of Resistance against the harassment, crimes, and occupation attempts of the Zionists. We will continue to support it from now on. It is the duty of every free person, every Muslim individual, and every Islamic state to support the oppressed Palestinian people against the occupying Zionists.”

Baqeri was also asked if he is “worried” about reports of Israel’s looming attack on Lebanon. 

“Zionists must remember the heavy defeat they suffered at the hands of resistance forces during the 33-day war when they were forced to retreat from southern Lebanon. If the Zionists want to fall from the Gaza swamp into the Lebanese well, we do not advise them to do so,”

Regarding Iran's nuclear program, Baqeri emphasized that it is "completely legal and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency."

"Iran regulates its nuclear program in accordance with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and its own national programs," he explained.

Baqeri Kani participated in an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers from the Developing Eight (D-8) Organization for Economic Cooperation in Istanbul, focusing on Israel's aggression against Gaza. 

During the summit, Iran proposed severing political and economic ties with Israel, boycotting Israeli products, and offering political and legal support to Palestine in various international forums. 

The ongoing conflict escalated on October 7, when the Palestinian group Hamas launched a significant operation against Israel in retaliation for the regime’s increased hostilities towards Palestinians. Since then, the Israeli offensive in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 37,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, and injuries to 84,500 others, according to reports from the Health Ministry of the battered enclave.

Just on Saturday, Israeli attacks on the Nuseirat refugee camp killed at least 270 Palestinians and injured 700. The Israeli military later said the attack was part of an operation to rescue four Israeli captives.

The Israeli military is only intensifying its deadly campaign in Gaza after an attack on Thursday killed about 40 people sheltering at a United Nations-run school in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where some 6,000 displaced Palestinians were sheltering.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.