TEHRAN — Iran on Saturday condemned the normalization of relations between certain members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Zionist regime as a betrayal of Muslims.

Reza Najafi, the Foreign Ministry director general for International Peace and Security, said the move was a violation of the 57-nation body’s principles.

Najafi made the remarks at the 47th session of the OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers in Niger’s capital, Niamey.

“Any interaction with the fake and illegal Zionist regime, whose life involves 60 years of crime, murder, torture and displacement of thousands of Palestinians, is considered a betrayal of Muslims and a violation of the fundamental principles of the OIC and will deal a serious blow to the unity of the organization’s member states and the Muslim Ummah,” he said, Press TV reported.

“A few members of the organization betrayed the Muslim Ummah by revealing their secret relations with the Zionist regime,” he added.

During an official ceremony hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in mid-September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed normalization pacts with Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in an October meeting with his Saudi counterpart, called on Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel. “We hope Saudi Arabia will consider normalizing its relationships as well, and we want to thank them for the assistance they’ve had in the success of the Abraham Accords so far,” he said at the time.

In the meantime, Palestinians have condemned the normalization deals as a treacherous “stab in the back”.

Najafi urged the international community to strengthen efforts towards upholding the Palestinians’ inalienable rights to return to their homeland and establish an independent state in the occupied territories, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.

He also condemned Friday’s assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was a professor of physics at Imam Hussein University in Tehran and headed the Defense Ministry's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND). 

“Yesterday, an Iranian scientist was assassinated by Israel’s mercenary terrorists. It may be related to the betrayal of [Muslims],” he said.

“We strongly condemn this cowardly terrorist act and remind that the era of hit and run is over,” Najafi added.

MH/PA