Doha, October 4 (RHC)-- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the Islamic Republic will continue to support the “strong tree” of resistance groups until Palestine is liberated.

Addressing the 3rd summit of Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) in the Qatari capital of Doha on Thursday, Pezeshkian said the Israeli regime will soon face justice for the serious crimes it has committed in the region.

“Given the sensitivities and challenges in West Asia and the Zionist regime’s repeated attacks against the resistance groups, …violators of human rights and perpetrators of crimes should know that resistance is a fruitful tree that cannot be destroyed at all,” Pezeshkian emphasized.

Regarding the Palestinian issue, he added, Iran considers itself duty-bound to support the resistance groups and will strongly insist on this stance.  He noted that Palestine and Lebanon are an important part of the Asian community.

Given the international community’s inability and lack of will to “immediately and effectively” address the ongoing critical situation in Gaza and Lebanon, all the countries which are concerned about “security and peace”, particularly Asian states, should take action to resolve the crisis and end Israel’s war in the besieged Strip, he emphasized.

The Iranian president added that inaction towards Israel’s warmongering in Gaza and Lebanon has emboldened the regime to continue its aggressive acts.

“We have always warned against the sinister intention of this regime to spread the war to the entire region,” Pezeshkian pointed out.

He emphasized that Iran’s recent missile attack on the occupied territories was in response to violation of the Islamic Republic’s territorial integrity and based on the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter regarding the right to self-defense.

Pezeshkian reiterated, “The Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek to escalate tension or spread the fire of war to other places, and it is the Zionist regime that pursues its sinister goals in engaging other countries.”

The Iranian president says Tehran will definitely give a stronger and more crushing response to Israel in case of any further mistakes.

On Tuesday, Iran launched a barrage of missiles toward the Zionist entity’s military and intelligence as well as spying bases in a retaliatory attack, which set off sirens all over the occupied Palestinian territories.

Flares and missiles were seen in the Tel Aviv sky and explosions could be heard in the occupied al-Quds, while “direct hits” were reported in Negev, Sharon, and other locations.

The operation, dubbed Operation True Promise II, came in response to Israel’s assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas political bureau, in Tehran, Secretary General of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Brigadier General Abbas Nilforushan, the Deputy Commander for Operations of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Iranian president further stressed the need for establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza, expulsion of all the occupying forces and liberation of the Palestinian land after seven decades.

He proposed the formation of a special committee within the ACD to swiftly address the situation of war victims and dispatch humanitarian and medical aid to the besieged territories.  The committee can also report to authorized international bodies and the United Nations the cases of human rights violation as well as Israel’s breach of principles, he said.

Pezeshkian asked that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) hold an emergency meeting to discuss the Palestinian issue.

At least 41,788 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed and 96,794 people wounded in the war that Israel began on October 7, 2023 following a retaliatory operation by the Palestinian territory’s resistance movements.

The brutal military onslaught enjoys unreserved military and political support on the part of the Israeli regime’s Western allies, including the United States and France.  The Iranian president further stressed the importance of promoting numerous cultural commonalities among the ACD countries.