Ties with Israel must be severed, says Raisi

During a telephone conversation, Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi advised his Turkish counterpart to cut ties with the Israeli regime in order to help prevent further loss of lives in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Tehran has repeatedly asked Islamic countries to sever political, economic, and diplomatic ties with Israel since the regime’s latest round of onslaughts against Gaza began on October 07, 2023. Despite the devastating loss of over 32,000 Palestinian lives, Muslim nations have yet to distance themselves from Israel.

Commenting on a recent Security Council resolution asking Zionists to establish a ceasefire in Gaza, Raisi told his Turkish counterpart that no resolution is going to stop Israel from committing heinous crimes. 

“The Zionist regime is not going to adhere to this resolution or any other treaty and international convention. The regime’s conduct so far proves its aggressive, law-breaking, and anti-human nature which necessitates the serious cooperation of Islamic countries to support the oppressed people of Gaza,” the Iranian official noted.

Highlighting the Islamic Ummah's call for Islamic countries' leaders to take resolute actions against the Zionist regime's crimes in Palestine, the president stressed the importance of Islamic cooperation through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other regional and international platforms.

"With the US continuing its significant financial and military backing of the criminal Zionist regime, cutting off all political and economic ties is a potent measure to compel an end to the atrocities in Gaza."

Raisi also underscored the urgency of Islamic countries collaborating to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, preventing a humanitarian crisis, and declared Iran's readiness to support any initiatives in this regard.

Figures show that the Turkish government has increased trade with Israel in the past six months. Some media outlets have claimed that Ankara has been sending gunpowder, weapons, and ammunition to the occupied territories. 

Furthermore, in their discussion, the two presidents touched on the significance of enhancing political, economic, and cultural ties between Iran and Turkey. Iran’s president highlighted Tehran’s commitment to reinforcing energy cooperation and voiced optimism that such collaboration would advance both nations' interests and foster unity within the Islamic Ummah.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his part, extended greetings to the Iranian government and people for Ramadan and the successful parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections.

He affirmed Turkey's dedication to implementing the agreements reached during the recent visit of Iran's President, stressing the importance of upholding and furthering Iran-Turkey cooperation for mutual benefit and Islamic unity.