Iranupdated 1h ago3 min read
Esmail Qa’ani Says IRGC Quds Force Will Not Abandon Palestinian Support or Al-Aqsa Protection
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Iran's Quds Force pledges ongoing support for Palestine and al-Aqsa protection. Al-Aqsa Mosque remains a constant priority in Iran's strategic calculations.
Quds Force vows support
Brigadier General Esmail Qa’ani said the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Quds Force will not abandon support for the Palestinian cause despite “decades of sanctions, imposed wars, and mounting external pressure.” Qa’ani wrote in a message to the Beirut-based al-Quds International Institution that Iran will maintain its support for the Palestinian people and their resistance and will prioritize “the protection of al-Aqsa Mosque.” Qa’ani said the issue of the al-Aqsa Mosque and confronting threats posed by the enemies remains an “unwavering promise and commitment, consistently ranking among Iran’s highest-level considerations and top priorities.”
Qa’ani added that “It (the Islamic Republic) has not and will not abandon this duty, regardless of the pressure, dangers, challenges, and threats it faces,” linking the stance to the 1979 victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. The message arrived as the article described “thousands of illegal settlers” staging incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East al-Quds under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.
Palestinians question Iran’s goals
The New Arab reported that a recent round of fighting between Yemen's Houthis and Saudi Arabia sparked debate among Palestinians over the role of Iran and its allies in the region. The Palestinian Authority's Presidency condemned the Houthi attacks and denounced strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh while expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia. Jordan-based Palestinian researcher Mohammed Hijazi told TNA that Palestinian factions maintained alliances with Iran and its regional allies, including the Houthis, and he said those ties were largely political and did not necessarily involve participation in the war or material support.
Gaza City father Abdul Majeed Zaqout said, “It is difficult to understand how Iran raises the slogan of supporting Palestine while the people of Gaza continue to suffer without seeing tangible results from that support,” as he described the Israeli army destroying homes and forcing people to live in tents. Zaqout also said, “What increased my doubts was the expansion of the confrontation to include attacks on Saudi Arabia,” and he tied the shift to fears for civilians including Muslim pilgrims performing Umrah.
Al-Aqsa stays central
Al-Manar TV Lebanon carried a message from Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani to the International Quds Foundation saying “the cause of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque will always remain present in Iran’s calculations and priorities.” Qaani told the foundation, “Rest assured and be certain—this is a promise and a pledge—that the cause of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque will be permanently present in Iran’s calculations and priorities.” Qaani said he received the foundation’s message about risks and threats targeting the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and he expressed gratitude for the foundation’s supportive stance toward Iran in its “sacred defense in the face of the American and Israeli enemies.”
“Rest assured and be certain—this is a promise and a pledge—that the cause of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque will be permanently present in Iran’s calculations and priorities.”
Qaani also affirmed that “our support and backing for the oppressed Palestinian people and their resistance is a duty we have committed to since the victory of the Revolution in 1979, and we continue it to this day.” The same set of claims framed the Al-Aqsa issue as a continuing priority while the PressTV account described restrictions on access and prayer at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East al-Quds.