On Wednesday, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a fervent call for Muslim nations to cease trade with Israel, which includes oil exports, in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Israel has in the past few weeks been bombarding Gaza leading to the loss of lives of over 1,400 individuals, with the majority being civilians.
The onslaught has resulted in more than 8,500 fatalities, with approximately two-thirds of them being women and children, as reported by the Hamas-run health ministry.
Addressing a gathering of students in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei stated, “Islamic nations must insist on the prompt cessation of these atrocities.”
He further urged Muslim countries not to engage in economic cooperation with the state of Israel and called for a halt on oil and food exports to Israel.
Khamenei sharply criticized Western governments that have not supported Palestine, specifically naming Britain, France, and the United States.
He said that the pressure on Gaza’s population is not solely attributed to Israel but also to these Western nations.
Iran’s Defence Minister, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, cautioned “certain European countries that assist” Israel to exercise caution and avoid angering Muslims.
While Iran financially and militarily backs Hamas, the country has asserted that it played no direct role in the group’s recent actions against Israel.
President Ebrahim Raisi reaffirmed Iran’s support for “resistance groups” while emphasizing their independent operations.
The White House has accused Iran of actively facilitating attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East.
In response, the United States added a new set of sanctions on Friday, targeting Hamas’s financial networks and sources of support in Iran.