Iran’s President: Israel's crimes do not bring it security, only increase public hatred of regime

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi says the crimes committed by Israel, including the recent killing of a Palestinian journalist, do not bring the regime security and only cause it to be loathed more by people of the region.

Raeisi made the remarks in a joint press conference with the visiting emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Tehran on Thursday.

During the presser, Iran’s chief executive touched on the killing of the Palestinian journalist by the Israeli forces while covering the latest attacks by those forces on Palestinians, expressing his condolences on her martyrdom.

“Such crimes do not bring security to the Zionist regime, but increase public hatred toward the regime,” Iran’s president said.

He added that his condolences over the killing of the Palestinian journalist were extended to all journalists around the globe, who convey the voice of the Palestinian people to the world.

“Such crimes [that are committed by the Zionist regime] will not continue for long,” Raeisi said.

Shireen Abu Akleh, a longtime TV correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic, was killed on Wednesday after being shot in the head while covering Israeli army raids in the city of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.

She was rushed to a hospital in Jenin in critical condition, where she was declared dead shortly after, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

A Palestinian journalist who was with Abu Akleh on the day when she was shot dead by Israeli regime forces has recounted how the crime was committed, describing the shooting as a “deliberate attempt” to kill the journalists.

“We made ourselves visible to the soldiers who were stationed hundreds of meters away from us. We remained still for around 10 minutes to make sure they knew we were there as journalists,” Shatha Hanaysha wrote in an account of the shooting incident.

Raeisi: Foreign presence only undermines regional security

In another part of his remarks, Iran’s president negated all forms of foreign presence in the West Asia region, especially by Western countries.

“Such [foreign] presence does not bring security to the region, but on the contrary, undermines it,” he added.

“During our talks, we discussed major regional issues, especially the issue of Yemen,” Iran’s president said, adding, “We emphasized that the blockade of Yemen [by the Saudi-led military coalition] must end and Yemenis must be allowed to decide the fate of their country.”

Raeisi added that another highlight of his talks with the Emir of Qatar was the situation of Afghanistan, noting that the country must have an inclusive government representing all groups and political factions, so that sustainable security could be established there.

The two leaders, Raeisi said, also laid emphasis on the need for the liberation of the occupied al-Quds, and end to the brutal siege of Gaza, and termination of Israel's crimes against Palestinians.

Iran’s president said the two sides emphasized the expansion of relations in all sectors, including politics, economy, trade, culture, tourism, and energy

Joint investment between Tehran and Doha and the implementation of mutual agreements reached during Raeisi’s recent visit to Qatar were other highlights of his discussions with the Emir of Qatar.

Iran’s president noted that the Qatari Emir’s visit will be a turning point in the two countries’ relations and will play a very important role in boosting mutual cooperation at regional and international levels

Emir of Qatar: Dialogue sole solution to regional issues

The Emir of Qatar, for his part, said the two leaders discussed major bilateral issues and all-out expansion of cooperation in all fields during their discussions.

Al Thani said the two sides agreed that resolution of the current problems facing the region is only possible through dialogue and negotiations.

“The existing problems in the region must be settled through constructive dialogue,” he said, adding that the two sides also discussed the ongoing situation in Palestine, Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

The Emir of Qatar also consoled with the family of the slain Palestinian journalist.

“The killers of [the Palestinian] journalist must be held accountable,” the Qatari Emir said, emphasizing that  no double standards must be applied in dealing with this issue.

He added that the cause of Palestine is the main issue of the region, noting that this issue must be resolved in a comprehensive manner, addressing all its aspects.

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