Iran calls on Muslim countries to sever ties with Israel

Iran's Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani has called on member states of the Developing Eight (D-8) Organisation for Economic Cooperation to sever all ties with Israel.

His remarks were made during an extraordinary meeting of D-8 foreign ministers held in Istanbul, Türkiye, on June 8, according to Tehran Times.

He urged to sever all economic and political ties with Israel to pressure it to cease conflict in the Gaza Strip.

During his address, Bagheri Kani condemned the ongoing atrocities committed by Israel against the Palestinian people.

He urged Islamic countries to take decisive action, including cutting off all relations with Israel, to end the violence in Gaza. 

Bagheri Kani emphasised that Israel will only acknowledge the gravity of the situation when confronted with force, citing Iran's Operation True Promise, a significant retaliatory strike on April 13, as evidence.

Bagheri Kani highlighted the prolonged conflict, noting that more than eight months of Israeli attacks on Gaza have passed without any concrete action from the international community to halt what he described as "unprecedented crimes." 

He accused Israel of using collective punishment policies to achieve a "sinister and dangerous goal" of making Gaza uninhabitable, labeling these actions as clear war crimes and genocide.

Representatives from Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Egypt, and Nigeria attended the D-8 summit to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Bagheri Kani called for a unified and strong response from Muslim countries to prevent the continuation of these crimes.

In the statement he issued for the meeting, Bagheri Kani stressed the importance of solidarity among Muslim countries and the utilization of their collective capacities to focus on this issue. He proposed several measures, including cutting political and economic ties with Israel, embargoing Israeli oil and goods, and recognising the Israeli regime as a terrorist entity.

Additionally, he suggested establishing a special international mission to bring Israel's crimes before international courts and called for the revival of UN General Assembly Resolution 3379, which previously equated Zionism with racism.

Bagheri Kani also touched upon the economic and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, urging the international community to adopt practical measures to support the Palestinian people.

He proposed the establishment of a 'D-8 Advocacy Programme for Palestine,' an international conference on Gaza's reconstruction, and the creation of an Islamic fund to raise financial assistance.

He further called for the suspension of Israel's membership in international organisations and a ban on its participation in international events, including the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

Bagheri Kani advocated for the designation of Israel's military and security forces as terrorist organisations due to their actions in Gaza.

In conclusion, Bagheri Kani reiterated Iran's commitment to supporting initiatives that ensure peace, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity for Afghanistan.

He urged the United Nations to pay closer attention to the humanitarian conditions in the country and to take concrete steps to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza.

The D-8 organisation, comprising Türkiye, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Pakistan, was established on June 15, 1997. It was formed following a proposal by Türkiye’s then-Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, who envisioned an economic group composed of eight emerging economies from the Muslim world. Since its inception, the D-8 has sought to enhance economic cooperation among its members while also addressing pressing political and humanitarian issues affecting the Muslim community globally.