TEHRAN -- Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and the Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani have stressed the need that rival Palestinian groups close their ranks in the face of the Zionist regime’s continued refusal to stop settlements in the occupied lands and ending the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The call came at separate meetings with Hamas Political Bureau chief Khaled Meshaal in Tehran on Monday.
Iran regards unity among Palestinians as the key factor to safeguard the Palestinians’ rights.
Rafsanjani and Mottaki were specifically referring to the importance of healing the wounds between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas.
Mottaki said that the Zionist regime has in fact killed all peace plans put forward regarding the refugees, settlements, and the Al-Quds issue.
“Tehran seeks unity among all Palestinian groups and parties,” the top diplomat insisted.
Pointing to the important status of Palestine in shaping regional developments, he highlighted the major role of Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in repelling Israelis’ brutal plots.
The foreign minister said reprehensible acts so far by the hegemonic powers and the Zionist regime to undermine the status of Hamas have proven futile.
For his part, Khaled Meshaal said regional developments and approaches adopted by the Zionist regime show that the so-called peace plans are doomed to failure.
The Hamas political leader went on to say that the resistance is the only the “truest” solution to long-decades the Palestinian crisis, he added.
At a meeting with Meshaal, Rafsanjani emphasized the importance of brokering unity among Palestinians in the struggle against the Zionist occupiers.
He called the Palestine issue the most important issue of the Muslim world, saying that the sufferings of Palestinians are very painful.
The Muslim world’s unity over the Palestine issue can be a deterrent factor against Zionists’ ambitious intentions, the veteran politician noted.
The Muslim world should try to break up the Gaza blockade to end Palestinians’ hardships, he added.
Rafsanjani also called for putting on trial the perpetrators of the Gaza crimes, saying the UN is responsible for dealing with the violation of human rights in Gaza.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili stated on Monday that the continued blockade of the Gaza Strip represents an “economic genocide”.
No weapon more effective than resistance
“There is no weapon more effective than resistance” for Palestinians to regain their rights, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani commented in a separate meeting with Meshaal on Monday.
The two sides accentuated the role of resistance in realizing the Palestinians’ goals.
Meshaal also counted Iran as one the real supporters of the Palestinian nation