Israel plots to weaken Islamic resistance: Iran

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says Israel and its supporters have plotted “seditions” in the region to weaken the Islamic resistance front.

“We had repeatedly warned that the seditions in the region are plotted by the Zionist regime [of Israel] and the regime’s supporters with the aim of getting regional countries involved and interfering in the internal and regional issues in order to weaken the Islamic resistance front,” Mehmanparast said on Tuesday during his weekly press conference.

He added that the Israeli regime’s attacks against Gaza and the massacre of women and children proved that Israel had been neglected as the main threat in the region.

Israeli airstrikes and shelling have left at least 112 Palestinians dead and over 900 others injured since November 14. Twenty seven children were among the Palestinian fatalities.

Referring to the measures taken by Iran following Israel’s attack on the costal enclave, Mehmanparast said, “[Iranian] Foreign Minister [Ali Akbar] Salehi has announced the readiness of the Islamic Republic to send humanitarian aid, particularly medicine, medical equipment and food, in telephone conversations with Hamas and Islamic [Jihad] Movement officials.”

Mehmanparast added that helping the people of Palestine and Gaza is the duty of all countries particularly Islamic nations.

“When the Zionist regime commits crimes against these defenseless people, it is required that all countries take the necessary measures to defend the people of Palestine.”

“Supporting the people of Palestine is the top priority of our country’s foreign policy,” Mehmanparast added.

Iran’s nuclear rights

Commenting on US President Barack Obama’s recent remarks about diplomacy with Iran, Mehmanparast said, “Any country or president that announces its readiness for negotiations with Iran within the P5+1 [group of world powers] must prove his respect for our nation’s rights in practice.”

During his first press conference after being re-elected as the US president on November 14, Obama said, “I will try to make a push in the coming months to see if we can open up a dialogue between Iran and not just us, but the international community, to see if we can get this thing resolved.”

Mehmanparast said, “We have repeatedly announced that we neither pursue anything more than our rights nor allow our nation’s right to peaceful nuclear activities be limited or blocked.”

The Iranian official said Iran is committed to its obligations and wants to use its rights “within the framework of peaceful objectives.”

The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran says its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for civilian purposes.