“Resistance operation amounts to legal self-defense”, cleric

Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami, in his Friday sermon, said the greater Middle East plan proposed by a former US Secretary of State has come true but with the resistance as its axis, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).

He praised the Yemeni resistance fighters in control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Hashd al-Shaabi, known as Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) targeting the US military bases in Iraq and also Hezbollah resistance attacking Israeli forces and said,” This means that the Greater Middle East is established but with resistance at its center.”

The cleric said,” 75 years have passed since Israeli regime began its crimes against the Palestinians and the world has now found the righteousness of resistance’s strategy against Israel.”

Tehran Friday prayer leader hailed the pro-Palestine rallies held across the UK and said,” Even in the UK, which has been the founder of Israel, thousands of people condemn regime.”

Ayatollah Khatami denounced the ongoing brutal bombardment of the Palestinians in Gaza and said,” Israel should leave the Middle East and leave the occupied lands for the Palestinian nation.”

He stressed referendum as the solution for the issue of Palestine and said the Palestinian nation should decide for their fate.

The senior Iranian cleric made the remarks in his Friday sermon on December 8, more than two months since the Israeli regime launched its massacre of the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza.