Call for Muslim Action Against US Quds Policy

Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has called on Muslim countries to take serious action against Washington's decision to recognize Beit-ul-Moqaddas as Israel's "capital" and start the process of relocating the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy Quds.

"We expect Islamic countries to adopt a unified stance against the United States and take practical measures so that the US will not repeat such domineering behavior," Larijani said on Sunday, Fars News Agency reported.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the new US policy on Quds, which marked a break from the approach adopted by his predecessors who had tried to avoid actions that would inflame tensions in the region.

"Even US allies denounced the irrational move and Islamic countries voiced opposition," Larijani said.

The top lawmaker outlined two possibilities regarding the stance taken by regional countries allied with Washington such as Saudi Arabia who have offered hundreds of billions of dollars to the US in exchange for weapons.

He said the countries are to blame whether they have been aware of the development or kept in the dark by their ally.

"If the United States made the move without informing them, they would suffer the most damage, because this would show the US had absolutely no trust in nor respect for these countries. Trump repaid their financial generosity by sacrificing the [Palestinian] cause of Arab and Islamic countries for the sake of the Zionist regime," Larijani said.

"But if they were aware of the announcement beforehand, this signifies the utmost political impotence of these countries. Muslim nations will never forget this."

  Utmost Incompetence  

Trump's announcement has prompted strong criticism from top Iranian officials.

Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the decision displayed the desperation of Washington and Tel Aviv in the face of Islamic resistance.

President Hassan Rouhani slammed the move and urged Muslims all over the world to speak up against it.

"Tehran will not tolerate a violation of Islamic sanctities," he said.

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Thursday denouncing the decision, saying that the "provocative and unwise" move could inflame a new intifada (uprising) against Israel.

The development also sparked widespread global outcry. Countries and political figures from around the world, US allies or foes alike, have voiced disapproval over Trump's decision.

China, Russia, Lebanon, Palestinian officials, Pope Francis, Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel have all expressed concerns over the drastic US policy shift.