Tehran Views UN’s Yes Vote Opportunity for Pursuing Palestinians’ Rights

The UN General Assembly’s Yes vote to granting nonmember observer status to Palestine is a good opportunity for the Palestinian nation to restore its rights which have been violated by the Zionist regime, an Iranian official said.

“This achievement is a good opportunity to restore the rights of Palestinians especially to legally pursue Zionists’ war crimes against the oppressed and defenseless people of Palestine and to prevent their future repetition,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said on Friday.

He underlined that Iran as the rotating president of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) believes this move is the first step for Palestinians towards gaining complete sovereignty over their occupied lands, returning to their homeland and continuing resistance against the illegitimate regime of Israel.

Mehman-Parast also expressed hope that certain conditions would be met to pave the way for the full membership of Palestine at the United Nations.

On Thursday, the 193-member General Assembly voted 138-9 with 41 abstentions at the United Nations for a resolution approving the upgrade. Nine members, including Canada, Israel, and the United States, voted against it.

Hundreds of Palestinians streamed out into the streets of the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank to celebrate the upgrade.

Acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas also said, “Indeed today is a historic day. Today we have really taken a step on the path to Palestinian independence.”