Iranians turned out in large numbers in International Quds Day rallies across the country on Friday and voiced support for the oppressed Palestinian nation.
International Quds Day is an event held annually on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan initiated by the late Founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as an international day of struggle against Israel and for the liberation of the al-Quds (Jerusalem) and other occupied Palestinian territories.
High ranking officials, including the president, the first vice president and the parliament speaker, attended the rally in Tehran, IRNA reported.
Upon joining the march, President Hassan Rouhani thanked the Iranian nation for participating in the event and said, "The Palestinian nation has a bright future ahead and the Muslim nation of Palestine will achieve their brilliant objectives through unity, solidarity, resistance and sacrifice."
First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri told reporters that on the occasion of Quds Day, besides voicing support for the oppressed Palestinians, the Iranian people express their hatred toward the enemies of Islam, including militants of the so-called Islamic State that are killing the innocent people of the region.
Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani denounced the occupying Zionist regime in his address before Tehran's Friday prayers, saying today's sorrowful story of the Palestinian nation is brought to them by the plots of western powers which led to the creation of the Israeli regime with a view to provoking division among Muslims.
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said the huge public turnout in Quds Day rallies indicates "the nation's insight in confronting the oppressors all around the world."
In a statement at the end of the event, the participants voiced support for the resistance of the Palestinian nation and denounced the brutal crimes of the Zionist regime in the occupied Palestinian territories. They also called for promotion of unity and solidarity among different Palestinian groups against Israel to help achieve the goal of liberating al-Quds and expelling the occupiers from the Palestinian lands.
