Palestinian resistance’s missile power, tactical capabilities invalidate Israel’s invincibility myth: Iran’s Shamkhani

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani says the range of missiles and the tactical capabilities of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement and Islamic Jihad to pass through various radar systems and the Iron Dome have invalidated the idea of ​​the invincibility of the Israeli regime.

Shamkhani made the remarks in a meeting with Head of the political bureau of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh and Ziyad al-Nakhalah, leader of the Islamic Jihad – another Palestinian resistance group based in the Gaza Strip – in Tehran on Saturday.

He said the collapse of the fabricated Israeli regime is possible in the near future if all resistance groups unite under the cause of Palestine and Holy al-Quds.

He felicitated the resistance leaders on the brilliant achievements made in “Operation al-Quds Sword” -- the Palestinian resistance groups' 11-day retaliatory rocket and missile launches in response to Israel's brutal bombing campaign of Gaza in May – and hailed the pivotal role of the Islamic Jihad and Hamas in fighting the Israeli regime and inflicting a humiliating defeat on the occupiers.

Tel Aviv launched a brutal bombing campaign against the besieged Gaza Strip on May 10, following Palestinian retaliation against violent raids on worshipers at al-Aqsa Mosque and the regime’s plans to force a number of Palestinian families out of their homes at the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East al-Quds.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 260 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli offensive, including 66 children and 40 women. At least 1,948 others were also wounded.

In response, Palestinian resistance movements, chief among them Hamas, launched Operation al-Quds Sword and fired more than 4,000 rockets and missiles into the occupied territories, killing 12 Israelis.

Sword of al-Quds not our last battle against Israel: Islamic Jihad

The Islamic Jihad warns the Israeli regime amid its continued attacks on the holy occupied city of al-Quds’ Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

Apparently caught off guard by the unprecedented barrage of rockets from Gaza, Israel announced a unilateral ceasefire on May 21, which Palestinian resistance movements accepted with Egyptian mediation.

The senior Iranian security official further noted that the Palestinian people have been mounting resistance over the past 70 years to liberate al-Quds from the Zionist occupiers.

Shamkhani condemned any move that would strengthen and expand the Zionists’ occupation and emphasized that the implementation of the mischievous plan by some Arab countries to normalize relations with Israel has failed.

In addition to military tools to advance its malicious goals, the SNSC secretary said, the Israeli regime resorts to cyberspace to wage psychological warfare and sow discord among the resistance front.

During the meeting, the Palestinian resistance leaders elaborated on unique achievements of “Operation al-Quds Sword” in military and social fields and said, “Today, the Zionist regime is weaker, more confused and more desperate than ever, and is caught in a vortex of many challenges.”

Nakhalah said the resistance movement now enjoys high vigilance, coherence and strength while appropriate ground has been prepared to change the balance of power in favor of the Palestinian resistance.

Haniyeh also pointed to Iran’s strategic role and continued support for the Palestinian resistance and said many Muslim countries have claimed to support the Palestinian cause, but they have established relations with the Tel Aviv regime whether covertly or overtly.

However, Iran is the sole country that has always supported the oppressed Palestinian people in word and deed, he added.

On Friday, the two Palestinian resistance leaders also held separate meetings with Iran’s newly-elected President Ebrahim Raeisi.

Iran will definitely continue to support Palestine: President Raeisi

Iran’s President Raeisi says the Islamic Republic will continue to support Palestine as the main issue of the Muslim world.

Raeisi told Haniyeh that Iran would undoubtedly continue to support Palestine as the main issue of the Muslim world and added that “Operation al-Quds Sword” showed that a great leap has been made in the fight against the occupiers. 

Eviction of foreign forces from Iraq major step towards establishing regional stability, security: Shamkhani

In another meeting with Falih al-Fayyadh, the chairman of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, Shamkhani stressed the importance of making efforts to expedite the implementation of the resolution adopted by the Iraqi parliament on the expulsion of US-led foreign forces from the Arab country.

"Accelerating the precise and complete implementation of this legislation will significantly reduce security and even political tensions in Iraq and will also be a major step towards establishing more stability and security in the region," the senior Iranian security official said.

Iraqi lawmakers approved a bill on January 5, 2020, demanding the expulsion of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the Arab country, two days after the assassination of top Iranian anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and his companions in a US strike. 

General Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and his Iraqi trenchmate, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Units, along with their companions were assassinated in a US terror drone strike authorized by former president Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport on January 3 last year.

Anti-US sentiment has been running high in Iraq since the assassination of the commanders. 

Iraqis say the continued US military presence in the country, against the wishes of the Baghdad government and parliament, is a breach of international law as well as the Arab country's sovereignty. 

Shamkhani also hailed the PMU’s determining role in maintaining Iraq's security and stability and stressed the need for closer coordination between the Iraqi nation, government and the army.

He emphasized that unity and solidarity among the Iraqi people, government and armed forces would pave the way for establishing sustainable security in the Arab country.

Shamkhani also said the upcoming parliamentary elections in Iraq would be important for ensuring lasting democracy and consolidating the effective political role of the Iraqi people in determining their own destiny.

Shamkhani added, “Vigilance and coherence among political, religious and ethnic groups are one of the inevitable necessities of holding sound elections and preventing foreign interference in this important political process in Iraq."

Fayyadh, for his part, described the PMU as a legitimate and complementary organization to the Iraqi army and said its existence, which represents the people's participation in securing their country, has frustrated the enemies and terrorist groups that aimed to create insecurity and instability in Iraq.

Hashd al-Sha’abi great support for Iraq’s security, progress: Iran president

Iran’s President Raeisi says Iraq’s Hashd al-Sha’abi plays a leading role in strengthening unity and defending people against terrorist groups.

In a Friday meeting with Fayyadh, the Iranian president hailed the role of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units and said it plays a leading role in strengthening unity in the country and defending the Iraqi people against terrorist groups.

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