Hawzah News Agency (Tehran, Iran) - In a meeting with the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, Ramadan Abdullah Shalah, in Tehran on Wednesday, December 14, Ayatollah Khamenei praised the Palestinians’ motivations, which are rooted in their faith and the spirit of resistance, adding, “The only way to liberate the holy city of al-Quds is struggle and resistance, and other solutions are useless and futile.”

Describing the US as “the most arrogant [power] and the Great Evil,” the Leader said Washington is the main reason behind the current problems in the region.

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the tensions created by certain regional countries through interference in the affairs of other states, saying they seek to undermine the Palestinian issue or force it to sink into oblivion.

The Leader reaffirmed Iran’s support for the Palestinian nation and said, “Despite being engaged in certain regional issues, the Islamic Republic has always announced explicitly that Palestine is the number one issue in the Muslim world and has fulfilled its obligations in this regard.”

Ayatollah Khamenei rejected claims that the conflicts in the region were linked to religious issues, saying it was the US and its regional allies who created such crises and involved religion in them.

“The Sunni people of Aleppo, Mosul and other cities and are being slaughtered by the Takfiri criminals, therefore, these crises have nothing to do with Sunnis or Shias,” the Leader said.

The Leader also underlined the need for collective fight against Takfiri groups, including Daesh, as one of the main challenges facing the region, warning that the Palestinian issue could be further sidelined due to current crises created by the Takfiris.

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