Iran's foreign ministry condemns Pompeo's visit to Israeli settlement

Iran has categorically condemned a visit to an illegal Israeli settlement in occupied Palestinian territories by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Soeaking in his weekly press briefing, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said certain Arab states’ normalization deals with the Israeli regime prepared the ground for Pompeo’s visit.

“The trip to [an Israeli settlement in] occupied Palestinian territories by the US regime’s secretary of state is a bitter issue,” he said. 

“If it weren’t for the treason of the rulers of a handful of Arab countries, the US diplomat would not have been emboldened to blatantly travel to occupied Palestine and breach UN Security Council resolutions, and would not have disobediently approved of Israel’s anti-human rights moves,” the spokesman noted.

He said the treason of certain regional Arab states and White House rulers’ shamelessness are two sides of the same coin. 

The spokesman noted those who have set the stage for the US to act so blatantly should be taken to task for what they have done. 

Khatibzadeh urged the few regional countries which have signed normalization agreements with Tel Aviv to “return to regional cooperation”.

The spokesman also called on the Muslim world to remain committed to the cause of Palestine.

Khatibzadeh also denounced the “provocative” measure by Manama and Abu Dhabi to designate the Lebanese Hezbollah as a “terrorist organization”.

The rulers of Bahrain and the UAE were not expected to do anything different, he deplored, saying they are attempting in a “very humiliating” manner to get brownie points from the Zionist regime.

Iran will be really serious about its national security if the strategic mistake made by Abu Dhabi and Manama results in hostility, the spokesperson warned.

Hailing Hezbollah as a noble domestic current in Lebanon, Khatibzadeh stressed that no country is allowed to blacklist a part of the Lebanese society that has contributed to the progress and dignity of the Lebanese people.

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman rejected media claims of martyrdom of Iranian forces by Israel in Syria, warning of a crushing response to any move to distort Iran’s advisory role in the war-hit country.

“The Quds occupying regime knows that the hit-and-run era ended long time ago and it moves cautiously but the aggressive character of the regime cannot be treated and the only way against it is one hundred percent resistance in all fronts that the regime attempts to foment tumult,” Khatibzadeh added.

“Iran’s presence in Syria is advisory and if anyone distorts this presence, he/she will receive a crushing response,” he added.

Khatibzadeh also rejected recent media reports claiming that Israel has killed a number of Iranian military forces in Syria.

Iran has played a military advisory role in Syria but has always denied deployment of forces in the country and other regional states.