Mass protests erupt in Iran in solidarity with Palestine On Quds Day

Large-scale demonstrations in support of Palestine are taking place across Iran, marking the occasion of Quds (Jerusalem) Day. 

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in major cities, carrying Palestinian flags and chanting slogans in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

Live coverage is being broadcast from nearly all major cities across the Islamic Republic, including Tehran, Rasht, Mashhad, Qom, and Tabriz.

In Tehran, the demonstration saw participation from high-ranking officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Minister of the Interior Eskandar Momeni, Central Bank Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin, and Head of the Judiciary Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei.

Iran’s Interior Minister confirmed that the marches are taking place in at least 900 cities across the country, as well as in several hundred villages and towns.

The Iranian Foreign Minister highlighted the particular significance of this year’s Jerusalem Day, given Israel's recent aggression towards Gaza and the Palestinian people.

"This year, the issue of supporting the resistance forces, Palestine, and the Palestinian people has taken on a different meaning," he added.

Note that, Quds Day, or International Jerusalem Day, is an annual pro-Palestinian event held on the last Friday of Ramadan to express support for Palestinians and oppose Israel and Zionism.

The event was first observed in 1979 in Iran, shortly after the Iranian Revolution, and is partly in opposition to Israel's Jerusalem Day, which has been celebrated by Israelis since 1968. 

Today, rallies are held on Quds Day in various countries across the Muslim world and beyond, protesting the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem.

By Aghakazim Guliyev