In an article published in Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper on Thursday, on the eve of the International Quds Day, Iran’s top diplomat stressed that for decades, Palestinians have suffered under brutal occupation, apartheid policies, forced displacement, and systematic ethnic cleansing by Israel.
Araghchi said symbolic protests alone are insufficient, urging the global community to take legal, economic, and international measures against Israel’s crimes against Palestinians.
The International Quds Day, established by the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, is observed annually on the last Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
It serves as a global platform for Muslims and freedom-seekers worldwide to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemn the Israeli regime's occupation of Palestinian territories and its deadly aggression against Palestinians.
“International Quds Day is the unparalleled legacy of Imam Khomeini for the liberation of Al-Quds. It is a legacy rooted in the profound understanding of the great founder of the Islamic Revolution regarding the soft and spiritual power of Islam on the one hand, and the wisdom and courage of a great international leader on the other. Undoubtedly, International Quds Day is one of the most prominent examples of a thought being realized in multiple dimensions and transformed into a practical initiative for Muslim and even non-Muslim communities worldwide,” Araghchi stressed.
Iran’s top diplomat outlined three core global “No’s” against Israel’s policies: no to occupation, no to apartheid, and no to the erasure of Palestine, stressing that the Zionist occupation has continuously expanded, reducing historic Palestine to just seven percent of its original territory, despite multiple UN Security Council resolutions condemning Israeli settlements and the construction of illegal barriers.
Araghchi slammed apartheid a crime against humanity, stressing that it is recognized as such by international conventions, including the 1973 Apartheid Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and UN investigations have confirmed that Israel’s policies constitute apartheid, yet its supporters continue to ignore these findings, he added.
Araghchi also condemned Israel’s forced displacement policies, labeling them as war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute, noting that forced displacement, when aimed at destroying an ethnic or religious group, amounts to genocide, as recognized by international law.
He warned that weakening Palestinian resistance would not only endanger occupied lands but also expose other parts of the Arab world to further aggression, urging regional countries to recognize the strategic importance of resistance in countering Israeli and Western ambitions.
“Arab countries in the region must recognize that resistance is not only a deterrent force in Lebanon and Palestine but also a protective barrier throughout the Arab world against the endless ambitions of the West and the Zionist regime. Developments in the region have demonstrated that if resistance is weakened, not only will the occupied territories remain at risk, but other parts of the Arab world will also become vulnerable to the threat of Zionist aggression and expansion,” Araghchi stressed.
He called on the international community to take concrete actions, including supporting Palestinian self-determination, ending the genocide in Gaza, halting arms sales and economic ties that enable occupation, and prosecuting Israeli leaders under international law.
In conclusion, the Iranian foreign minister said that Palestinian freedom is not an unattainable dream, as no apartheid system, military occupation, or colonial project can last indefinitely.
Araghchi stressed that millions of people who rally worldwide for Palestine demonstrate that the struggle for justice is alive and unstoppable, and the global conscience will not rest until this humanitarian and moral goal is achieved.