Thousands take to streets of Iran capital in support of Palestinians

Tehran, Iran — AFP

Thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran on Friday in a show of support for Palestinians amid a bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The demonstrators waved the flags of Iran, Palestine and Hezbollah and set fire to the flags of the US and Israel, according to witnesses.

They also chanted slogans and held banners that read “Down with America” and “Down with Israel” as they marched in the Iranian capital.

Similar rallies were held in other cities across the Islamic republic.

Tehran has been calling on regional Islamic and Arab countries to form a united front against Israel.

Hamas had launched the Operation Al Aqsa Flood last weekend, in retaliation to the relentless stormings of the sacred Masjid Al Aqsa during the Yom Kippur holiday, and increasing violent attacks by illegal Israeli settlers against Palestinians in recent months.

Iran termed the unprecedented Hamas operation as a “success” but insisted it was not involved in the onslaught.

Israel has responded with hugely disproportionate aggression by pounding the blockaded Gaza Strip, killing more than 1,500 people including hundreds of children in the impoverished Palestinian territory of over 2.4 million people.

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian began a regional tour by visiting Iraq to bring together allies of the Islamic republic against Israel.

He warned Israel that “new fronts” might be opened against the country unless it stops bombing Gaza.